San Francisco Bay Area Executive Coaching

Why We Need Inspirational Leadership

In today’s world, we need inspirational leadership. In a 2017 survey recently published in Harvard Business Review, 85% of 14,500 workers across a variety of industries said they were not working at full potential. Only 15% reported working at 100% of their potential and 16% reported less than 50%. What’s happening in your organization? How do you motivate employees?

We know that external incentives or benefits alone are not enough to motivate workers. Great leaders inspire their people with why they do what they do, instead of the what and how. When employees believe their work matters; when they have a purpose that aligns with the mission of the organization and their leader, they are more creative and productive.

Have you noticed this? Inspired people are the glue that hold an organization together, especially during times of crisis and recovery. They care because their leaders skillfully communicate genuine care
.
Engage the Heart and Mind

Great examples of this in action are those leaders who engage both the heart and mind. If you haven’t heard it recently, I urge you to listen to the entire speech of Martin Luther King Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963. He didn’t begin with “I have a plan.” Nor did he open with the changes that needed to be made. He began by telling us why: why all people need to bond for a better future.

When we begin a communication with why, we engage the part of the brain most responsible for decision-making. Let’s call it the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) part of the brain. It searches for data on pleasure versus pain, friend or foe, help or hurt.

You see, while messages are simultaneously processed by all parts of the brain, the area most responsible for decision-making registers subconscious thoughts, lacks language, uses gut intuition, and is heavily influenced by feelings and drives for survival. And it impacts our level of trust. When leaders share a greater cause and higher purpose, listeners are sifting, sorting, and deciding whether and how much to trust, and ultimately, commit. Then, leaders can focus on the how and what.

How Leaders Inspire

The pressures of the pandemic have affected our communication. We’ve reverted to old school communication styles that are less effective.

You see, the traditional communication approach is to define the problem, analyze it, and recommend a solution. While this appears logical—it appeals to reason—it is actually limiting in that it only serves to pass on information to those who desire it, or are looking for direct orders.

If you want to inspire and motivate others, this approach does not work. Worse, it can create more problems. Employees who disagree, have other ideas, or ingrained habits won’t respond well to a perceived command and control order, or a lecture on beliefs.

Have you noticed this? When a communication does not align with what we know or believe, we dismiss it as irrelevant or wrong. We question the source. All of this takes place in the part of our brain that is responsible for emotional reactions, rather than the areas of logic and reasoning. This is often the reason presentations bomb.

When confirmation bias has been activated, you face a skeptical, cynical, or hostile audience. We see this all the time in social media. Regardless of your intended message, it will be heard as reasons not to believe or act. And it’s contagious.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach Trusted Leadership Advisor
Professional Certified Coach (PCC) International Coach Federation, Board Certified Coach (BCC)
San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

Our services:
● Executive Coaching
● Mindful Leadership
● Attorney & Accountant Coaching
● Emotional Intelligence Workshops

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com , write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252

Subscribe to our Executive Coaching Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com
Connect with me on these Social Media sites:


http://twitter.com/drbrusman http://
www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman http:/
/www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman http://

www.youtube.com/user/drmaynardbrusman

Inspirational Leadership

What does inspirational leadership look like in your organization? Let me ask: what impact do inspiring leaders have on performance, both organizationally, and at an individual level?

Consider this: while an employee’s mindset is important to their overall performance, without support from their leadership, even the most committed and motivated employee may not reach their potential. This became very clear during the pandemic, as studies now find. When uncertainty and anxiety are high, employees must have clear expectations and emotional support.

Unfortunately, some leaders have risen to the top through marketing or hype. They sway others to do as they ask (or command) with a lack of genuine concern for their well-being. As a result, there is a large degree of distrust and reluctance.

Conversely, inspiring leaders take action because of their care and concern for others. You see, inspirational leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in our charge. While rank or title may indicate leadership authority, they are not indicators of leadership ability.

Inspirational Leadership Can Be Developed

Inspiring leaders are often described by their innate traits, characteristics (i.e.: authenticity, passion, resilience, etc.), strengths, or title that describe their leadership style or level of authority. Fundamentally, inspirational leadership is the ability to positively influence and/or motivate others. In today’s world, inspirational leadership is about connection: connecting with those you lead in ways that are meaningful to them.

The relationships you create determine your abilities as an influencer. If you build trust and practice empathy in your relationships, you’ll create higher-quality connections. This may sound simple, but it poses certain challenges that require nuance and practice.

Fortunately, we can develop inspirational leadership. At the core is our ability to see those around us.

Why We Need Inspirational Leadership

In today’s world, we need inspirational leadership.
In a 2017 survey recently published in Harvard Business Review, 85% of 14,500 workers across a variety of industries said they were not working at full potential. Only 15% reported working at 100% of their potential and 16% reported less than 50%. What’s happening in your organization? How do you motivate employees?

We know that external incentives or benefits alone are not enough to motivate workers. Great leaders inspire their people with why they do what they do, instead of the what and how. When employees believe their work matters; when they have a purpose that aligns with the mission of the organization and their leader, they are more creative and productive.

Have you noticed this? Inspired people are the glue that hold an organization together, especially during times of crisis and recovery. They care because their leaders skillfully communicate genuine care.

Engage the Heart and Mind

Great examples of this in action are those leaders who engage both the heart and mind. If you haven’t heard it recently, I urge you to listen to the entire speech of Martin Luther King Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963. He didn’t begin with “I have a plan.” Nor did he open with the changes that needed to be made. He began by telling us why: why all people need to bond for a better future.

When we begin a communication with why, we engage the part of the brain most responsible for decision-making. Let’s call it the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) part of the brain. It searches for data on pleasure versus pain, friend or foe, help or hurt.

You see, while messages are simultaneously processed by all parts of the brain, the area most responsible for decision-making registers subconscious thoughts, lacks language, uses gut intuition, and is heavily influenced by feelings and drives for survival. And it impacts our level of trust. When leaders share a greater cause and higher purpose, listeners are sifting, sorting, and deciding whether and how much to trust, and ultimately, commit. Then, leaders can focus on the how and what.

How Leaders Inspire

The pressures of the pandemic have affected our communication. We’ve reverted to old school communication styles that are less effective.

You see, the traditional communication approach is to define the problem, analyze it, and recommend a solution. While this appears logical—it appeals to reason—it is actually limiting in that it only serves to pass on information to those who desire it, or are looking for direct orders.

If you want to inspire and motivate others, this approach does not work. Worse, it can create more problems. Employees who disagree, have other ideas, or ingrained habits won’t respond well to a perceived command and control order, or a lecture on beliefs.

Have you noticed this? When a communication does not align with what we know or believe, we dismiss it as irrelevant or wrong. We question the source. All of this takes place in the part of our brain that is responsible for emotional reactions, rather than the areas of logic and reasoning. This is often the reason presentations bomb.

When confirmation bias has been activated, you face a skeptical, cynical, or hostile audience. We see this all the time in social media. Regardless of your intended message, it will be heard as reasons not to believe or act. And it’s contagious.

Communication That Inspires

Leaders inspire their audience when they pay careful attention to communication details and understand the importance of:
• Word choice
• Patterns of words
• Order of patterns

Successful leaders don’t rely on a single communication. As implementation proceeds, they reinforce communication and work with their people to co-create the future by continuing the conversation.
In addition to words, the language of leadership is most effective when you:
1. Can share intelligent stories and narratives
2. Display appropriate, congruent body language
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the audience’s story and context

What Your Audience Wants to Hear

To be sure, inspiring leaders are always needed, in good times, and in times of crisis. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the size of your organization, or your title. If you and your colleagues want to reach your full potential, you need inspirational leadership. Language matters.
Most of our communication is done electronically (email, phone, video-conference, etc.) and people aren’t necessarily listening. They may be multi-tasking: preparing for their next meeting, thinking about others things, responding to texts, etc.) Inspiring leaders understand this, and use four methods to grab focused attention.

1. Sharing a personal story or message – sharing “why”
2. Triggering emotion – sharing “how”
3. Presenting trustworthy data or reliable source – sharing “what”
4. Using concise language, without relying on jargon (i.e. industry specific terms, abbreviations, etc.)

The Role of Positive and Negative Messaging

Studies have found that the combination of personal stories that trigger emotion are more than twice as likely to resonate with your audience. Negative messages are also more effective with attention-getting when they illustrate the seriousness of a problem, the trajectory, and how it was and can be overcome. However, negative messages can deter enthusiasm and actually de-motivate people.

Positive messaging creates a desire to change and sparks imagination. If you want your employees to reach their full potential and/or change course, present stories and clear examples of how others are making a difference. This appeals to the heart, and the mind.

Inspirational leadership is not about imposing your will on your audience, rather, it’s to enable your audience to see the possibilities and create their own conclusions. Practice telling positive, concise stories that illustrate how successful changes have occurred. This approach connects you and your audience on an emotional level, leading to action and willingness to imagine a new future.

What Your Audience Needs to Hear

As a leader, do you know what your audience really needs to hear to be inspired? How do they respond to your appeals for change?
Inspirational leadership relies on the establishment of an emotional connection, as well as sound reasoning.

The Importance of Connection

At its core, inspirational leadership is about connection: connecting with those you lead in ways that are meaningful to them. You see, the relationships you create determine your abilities as a motivator. For example, if you are empathic and establish trust in your relationships, you’ll create higher-quality connections. This may sound simple, but for leaders it poses certain challenges.

Generally speaking, leaders have access to others. Higher-quality connections are authentic: they require a certain amount of vulnerability and genuine respect. When there is an imbalance in access—when a leader has access to others and it is not reciprocated—trust may be weakened. Of course, too much vulnerability can be interpreted as weakness. When leaders demonstrate competency and humanity, trust and high-quality connections grow.

Inspirational leaders encourage individuals to speak truth to power. They create an environment where there is safe-space to share ideas, including disagreement and dissent. This enables greater collaboration and innovation.
The Importance of Compelling, Sound Reasoning

Any desire or willingness to change will wane unless it’s reinforced by compelling, sound reasons. When we encounter new ideas, we can easily fall into a confirmation bias: we search for reasons to preserve our existing point of view.

Appeal to your audience in story forms that communicate:
• Why: why the change is needed
• What: what the change is and how it will impact them
• How: the change will be implemented
• Why this change will work: the sound reasoning

Leaders who inspire establish an emotional connection and stimulate a desire for a different future. Without an emotional connection, nothing happens. Inspirational leadership creates a scaffolding¬—a catalyst for a creative process—that enables an audience to see the world for themselves, view their relationships in a new way, and make progress in reaching their full potential.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach Trusted Leadership Advisor
Professional Certified Coach (PCC) International Coach Federation, Board Certified Coach (BCC)
San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!
Our services:
● Executive Coaching
● Mindful Leadership
● Attorney & Accountant Coaching
● Emotional Intelligence Workshops

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com , write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252

Subscribe to our Executive Coaching Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com

Connect with me on these Social Media sites:

http://twitter.com/drbrusmanhttp://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusmanhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusmanhttp://www.youtube.com/user/drmaynardbrusman

Energy Management for Peak Performance

Energy Management for Peak Performance

Peak performance is not what it used to be, according to leaders, managers, and employees who report teetering on the brink of burnout. And it’s not just individuals: entire organizations are at risk.

Within the first seven weeks of 2021, Harvard Business Review published six articles on the topic, including how the pandemic contributes to burnout, how to recognize burnout, and how to fight burnout. But instead, what if we could avoid burnout and maintain peak performance?

Although burnout is not classified as a medical condition or mental disorder (DSM-5), in 2019—pre-pandemic—the World Health Organization (WHO) re-defined the occupational phenomenon of burnout in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). According to the WHO, “burnout is a syndrome…resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed,” and includes three dimensions:

1. Feeling of energy depletion
2. Feeling of negativity/cynicism related to personal occupation or increasing mental distancing from occupation
3. Reduced professional/occupational efficacy

Typically, we avoid burnout by taking breaks: we enjoy several weeks of vacation, spend time away, and de-stress with a change of scenery and energizing activities. But for many, this has not been an option during the past year. Add to that virtual offices and work from home (WFH) practices, and stay-cations don’t recharge us like we need. Reaching and maintaining peak performance, for individuals and organizations, requires ongoing daily energy management.

Four Dimensions

Energy has four dimensions: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual (or ritual). We draw energy from each dimension, which we must replenish. To build our strength and expand our energy capacity (stamina/resilience) we must stretch ourselves beyond our usual limits and allow for rest. This cycle is referred to as stress and recovery.

Consider the behaviors of professional athletes. Often, the difference between those who are highly successful and those who are not is an ability to manage and conserve energy for peak performance. While it might appear silly on the surface, elite players use certain rituals to help them remain focused and manage negative emotions. They understand this vital energy management component and requirement for peak performance.

Leaders, managers, and entire organizations can apply these same principles to their daily routines and operations. The key to recuperation is to create specific positive energy replenishing rituals.

Manage Your Physical Energy

We know that too much stress without recuperation can deplete our energy, and wreak havoc on our health. Left unchecked, our body’s natural cortisol response can actually weaken our immune system. Add to that overeating, and we block energy production.

To jump start your motivation and boost your physical energy:

• Move your body. Even if it’s only a minute of stretching, jumping up and down, or a turn about a room, corridor, or neighborhood, it can generate good feelings and elevate your mood.
• Identify SMART Stretch Goals. Your physical SMART goals can (and should) be related to activities and exercise, food and drink consumption, rest and relaxation, and wellness checkups with your medical care provider. (Yes, many of us have allowed these to lapse this year.) Like a big, hairy, audacious goal (BHAG), your stretch goal should be something you dream of achieving and is beyond your current capacity. In other word, you have no real idea of how to get it accomplished. If you do know how to get it done, then it’s not really a stretch goal.
• Create healthy habits and routines that support your goals. If you find yourself lacking the motivation, willpower, or discipline to complete the activities that will help you reach your goals, don’t feel bad. The reality is making a decision and taking action depletes our mental and physical energy. To conserve precious brain energy, create healthy habits and routines that are automatic and eliminate decision-making.

Physical Energy for Organizations

While it typically may be managers who succumb to burnout most frequently, no one is exempt. Idealists, perfectionists, and the highly conscientious who are dedicated and committed to doing well are particularly vulnerable. As a leader or manager, help your employees boost their physical energy:

• Ensure work environments are safe.
• Invest in building, equipment, and systems maintenance and needed upgrades.
• Learn to recognize the warning signs of burnout, before it happens. Are your direct reports easily annoyed? Are they expressing impatience or discontent? Now is not the time to ignore it. Explore with empathy and curiosity.

Peak performance requires attention to physical energy, especially when under intense pressures. And while it may seem like simple common sense, we often fail to follow it.

Manage Your Mental Energy

Although many occupations and roles require time for decision making, we don’t build in time for rest, workout breaks, and thinking. Anyone who has had to make frequent, critical decisions throughout the day understands the importance of this. One of the most productive ways to think is during exercise.

According to Dr. Scott McGinnis, instructor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, "There's a lot of science behind this." Studies find that the parts of the brain responsible for memory and thinking are larger in people who exercise. Exercise also improves mood and sleep, which affect our mental energy.

Another way to replenish your mental energy is to take a break from the actual thinking: complete an unrelated task, play a simple game, daydream, or meditate. Varying activities to stimulate different parts of your brain creates more mental energy. Even simple changes like reversing items on your desk from the left to the right, and vice-versa, can boost mental energy, creativity, and innovation.

Studies also find a strong correlation between productivity and positive thinking. To boost mental energy, use these techniques:

• Mental preparation: Willingness and optimism are key for mental toughness. Identify, control, and manage emotions. Be aware, and curious.
• Visualization: See yourself succeed. Rehearse all the preparation and steps you will need to take to succeed. Visualize obstacles, and how you overcome them.
• Meditation: Develop a practice of mindfulness or meditation. Begin with short sessions that focus on your breath, and grow your practice.
• Introspection: What are you strengths? Where are your blind spots and bias? What is holding you back?
• Reflection: Make time to feel feelings, process new experiences and information, and reflect on lessons learned. Ask for help when you need it. It can be most helpful to work with an experienced, trusted advisor.

Mental Energy for Organizations

If you aren’t already, consider providing spaces where employees can disengage for brief periods of time (5 – 60 minutes) to recharge their mental energy. To support a meditative atmosphere, create quiet zones with comfortable seating, floor cushions, and soft lighting. Discourage food and beverages, electronic devices, conversation, and other distractions.

Manage Your Emotional Energy

We know we are running critically low in our emotional energy when negative emotions become predominant. Fortunately, there are ways to manage negativity and build positive emotions.

• Give yourself permission to play, even at work. Step-back, find the humor, and allow openness. Play with your senses: listen to people laughing, watch funny videos, color, play with words or phrases, anything that will help you engage a playful mindset or attitude. Play can energize you, help you see new patterns, spark your curiosity, and trigger ideas and innovation.
• Phone a friend. Sometimes, picking up the phone can be the last thing we want to do, but it can be the most beneficial. If you haven’t already, hone this skill. Identify three people you could call if you needed someone to “just listen,” and ask them if they would be open to receiving a call and maintaining confidentiality. Then, develop a practice of checking in. It can be a short call, “I’m just calling to call,” or, “I’m just checking in.”
• Find a way to be of service to someone else. When we spend too much time in our own heads it’s easy to lose perspective and forget that we’re not alone. Find a way to offer help or practice a random act of kindness.

Emotional Energy for Organizations

• Provide resources through which people can express anger, disappointment, helplessness, hopelessness, defeat, and depression.
• Establish networks for executive peer support. Historically, these have been based on non-competing industries, but I wouldn’t rule them out entirely. When confidentiality is respected, such networks can foster coopetition. A qualified coach can also offer emotional support for executives, leaders, and managers.
• Ensure you are recognizing and celebrating small victories at work. Frustration, anger, or fear are toxic and can block peak performance. Good feelings are contagious and can replenish our emotional energy.

Manage Your Spiritual Energy

Spiritual energy is your personal connection to your true values and deep sense of purpose. It relies on self-care and depends on taking care of others with profound respect. Spiritual energy draws upon rituals and a connection with a purpose greater than their own personal interests. Spiritual energy means honoring your values, paying attention to your gut instincts, and doing the right things.

A ritual is a sequence of activities. It can involve visualization or meditation and/or a sacred act or tradition. At its core, it is intentional, mindful, and personally meaningful.

Peak performance means deep involvement with purpose, values, self-examination, and the establishment of effective energy replenishing habits. There are three critical steps in this process:

1. Defining true values and what is most important to you, fostering a positive mind-set, and being unselfish.
2. Being honest about where you are now and recognizing, understanding, and overcoming obstacles, including excuses.
3. Developing a plan and taking action on three positive rituals that will replenish your spiritual energy level.

For those who switched to remote or virtual work this past year, daily rituals took on a new level of importance. Preparing and enjoying a cup of tea or coffee became much more mindful. Dressing in professional attire and changing at the end of the day gained importance. Even scheduling a weekly virtual brunch with friends helped to renew depleted spiritual energy. These rituals all serve to mark the cycles of time, the boundaries of roles, and our connection to other, an amazing source of passion, fortitude, and commitment.

Spiritual Energy for Organizations

In organizations, spiritual energy is gained from the leadership vision, the mission of the organization, and how each and every action supports the mission. It is renewed when we remind each other that we matter. Our organization would not be the same without each and every person. Take the time to remind others how important they are. See, hear, and be with them. Let them know they matter.

Dr. Maynard Brusman

Consulting Psychologist & EQ Executive Coach and Mindful Leadership Consultant
Trusted Leadership Advisor

Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coach Federation

Board Certified Coach (BCC)

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

Our services:

• Executive Coaching
• Mindful Leadership
• Neuroscience - Conversational Intelligence (CI-Q)
• Attorney and Accountant Coaching
• Emotional Intelligence & Mindful Leadership Workshops

 

Top 5 Clifton Strengths – Maximizer, Learner, Ideation, Strategic, Individualization 

VIA Character Strengths – Love of Learning, Social Intelligence, Bravery, Gratitude, Appreciation of Beauty&Excellence

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to

Improving Business Ethics

Business Ethics

We are making great strides in corporate social responsibility. Many reflect changes in business policies and practices. But when it comes to business ethics, are we really improving?

Consider this: almost 120 years ago, German socialist, economist, and politician Max Weber published his book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, emphasizing that personal integrity and reputation matters: they form the basis of good business relationships. A person’s words are their bond and business can be counted on with a handshake.

Jump to the turn of the century. For six consecutive years, Fortune magazine deemed Enron one of the most innovative organizations and two months after being publicized, Enron filed for bankruptcy, bringing down companies and 1,000’s of individuals with it.

Not long after, new regulations and legislation were enacted including penalties regarding records and the accountability of auditing firms.

Then came the financial crisis of 2007-08, where organizations were deemed “too big to fail,” generating other hazards, risks, and an uneven playing field.

Headlines, book lists, and social media are filled with other examples, several from the most recent past. How did we get here? And more importantly, where do we go from here?

What We Don’t See

In Moral Mazes (Oxford University Press, 2009), Robert Jackall suggests that modern bureaucracy has created a “society within a society” in which there is a set of ethical standards that may not be consistent with those of the larger society. Our current capitalistic society goes along with these sub-societies, as long as they are successful.

Generally, the larger the organization, the more complex the strategy and operations. It might seem easier to stretch standards and change numbers to reflect what is desired, rather than what is.

Morality and Ethics in the Workplace

Research and empirical studies on moral standards and business ethics is sparse. But if we look at self-reporting surveys we can see some trends. For example:

• 86% of managers claim moral standards at work are set by the expectations perceived in the work environment.
• A corporation’s culture is a strong determinant of individual thought, behavior, and organizational norms.
• Corporate or organizational culture is recognized as a key contextual influence in establishing and maintaining norms.

The Influence of Leadership

When the behaviors of leaders are seen to serve shareholders and themselves, rather than the employees, the community, the environment, or even the customers, there is an increasing sense of distrust of leaders’ motives.

Such erosion of trust may be pandemic. But as Dr. Marc J. Epstein and Kirk O. Hanson write in Rotten: Why Corporate Misconduct Continues and What to Do about It (Lanark Press, 2020), “While we don’t argue here that corporate behavior has necessarily gotten worse in recent years, we certainly don’t believe it has gotten better.”

Institutional Integrity: The Privilege of Pressure

Today’s great leaders understand and embrace the profound privilege and responsibility to create purpose and meaning that drives employee contributions, including innovation and productivity.

In most organizations, stated goals are consistent with the higher values of the organization: the vision of the leader, the organization’s mission, and a value statement. This allows all employees to operate in a coherent and consistent manner to achieve stated goals.

Addressing Injustice

Aside from the ongoing unemployment and underemployment in the midst of pandemic, we still have unresolved matters in the American workplace. One of the most pervasive is salary and pay inequities.

According to a recent Harvard Business Review article (November 2020), a recent self-reported survey of U.S. companies found that only 22% of the 922 largest public companies performed a pay equity audit (PEA) between 2016 and 2020. Until this issue is addressed and adjustments made, leaders will have an ongoing issue with building trust and credibility in organizational cultures.

Discussing Ethics at Work

Questioning moral or ethical viewpoints can trigger defensiveness, outrage, and even aggression toward those who think differently. However, leaders can set clear and consistent standards and expectations through:

1. Leadership development practices. These must include programs on ethical reasoning and decision making. This must be an ongoing process, not a one-shot affair at fulfilling a requirement. The most effective include coaching and/or mentoring where issues of personal ethics and moral responsibility are explored and aligned with organizational values.
2. Leadership programs. These must include selection, development, evaluation and rewards policies that are aligned in such a way as to reflect their support of the values of the organization. When a person is selected for promotion or is rewarded, the organization is making a statement: this person represents our values and standards.

Moral Rebels at Work

Morality and ethics are a daily challenge for managers and leaders. Most, if not all, have made a promise to “not knowingly do harm.” Of course, this is not always an easy promise to keep. But as Peter Drucker wrote in The Essential Drucker, “Its very modesty and self-constraint make it the right rule for the ethics that managers need, the ethics of responsibility.”

Powerful forces may lead us to feel powerless to oppose. Each person must weigh alternatives and make choices in light of personal values and goals, but also with consideration to organizational and professional success. Clearly, there are times when we must speak out.

A Framework for Ethical Dilemmas

There are two major approaches philosophers use to address an ethical dilemma:

1. Focus on the practical consequences of what we do. This argues “no harm, no foul.”
2. Focus on the actions themselves, and the “rightness” of the action alone. This argues that some actions are simply wrong in and of themselves.

An effective process includes a solid analysis:

1. Analyze the consequences. Explore all aspects by answering the following questions:

Who will be helped by what I do?

Who will be harmed by what I do?

What is the benefit, and how beneficial? (i.e. minimal, incremental, extremely; short-term and/or long-term)

What is the harm, and how harmful?

Analyze the actions. Without thinking about the consequences, consider all of the options from a different perspective. Explore all options by answering these questions:

How do the actions measure up against moral principles like honesty, fairness, equality, respecting the dignity of others, and people’s rights?

Do any of the actions “cross the line?”

If there’s a conflict between principles or between the rights of different people involved, is there a way to see one principle as more important than the others?

Which option offers actions that are least problematic?

2. Make a decision. Consider the answers from steps one and two, and make a decision.

Moral and ethical leadership today require great courage, wisdom, and the right framework to make decisions. And there is always room for improvement.

All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s and (woman’s) inability to sit quietly in a room alone. - Blaise Pascal

In Health, Wealth and Happiness,

Maynard

Dr. Maynard Brusman

Consulting Psychologist & EQ Executive Coach and Mindful Leadership Consultant
Trusted Leadership Advisor

Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coach Federation

Board Certified Coach (BCC)

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

Our services:

• Executive Coaching
• Mindful Leadership
• Neuroscience - Conversational Intelligence (CI-Q)
• Attorney and Accountant Coaching
• Emotional Intelligence & Mindful Leadership Workshops

Top 5 Clifton Strengths – Maximizer, Learner, Ideation, Strategic, Individualization 

VIA Character Strengths – Love of Learning, Social Intelligence, Bravery, Gratitude, Appreciation of Beauty&Excellence

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252

The Matter of Business Ethics

The Matter of Business Ethics

We are making great strides in corporate social responsibility. Many reflect changes in business policies and practices. But when it comes to business ethics, are we really improving?

Consider this: almost 120 years ago, German socialist, economist, and politician Max Weber published his book, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, emphasizing that personal integrity and reputation matters: they form the basis of good business relationships. A person’s words are their bond and business can be counted on with a handshake.

Jump to the turn of the century. For six consecutive years, Fortune magazine deemed Enron one of the most innovative organizations and two months after being publicized, Enron filed for bankruptcy, bringing down companies and 1,000’s of individuals with it.

Not long after, new regulations and legislation were enacted including penalties regarding records and the accountability of auditing firms.

Then came the financial crisis of 2007-08, where organizations were deemed “too big to fail,” generating other hazards, risks, and an uneven playing field.

Headlines, book lists, and social media are filled with other examples, several from the most recent past. How did we get here? And more importantly, where do we go from here?

What We Don’t See

According to Robert Jackall, author of Moral Mazes (Oxford University Press, 2009), modern bureaucracy has created a “society within a society” in which there is a set of ethical standards that may not be consistent with those of the larger society.

Our current capitalistic society (or neo-capitalism) goes along with these sub-societies, as long as they are successful. When there is a collapse, there is a cry of “foul.” It would seem that there is such an emphasis on success, that morals and ethics sometimes take a back seat.

Generally, the larger the organization, the more complex the strategy and operations. It might seem easier to stretch standards and change numbers to reflect what is desired, rather than what is. Meeting the numbers seems more desirable than sticking to reality. Besides, one might reason that “reality” or “truth” is really just a question of which version, which perspective, is applied.

Now is the time to face reality. Any path forward requires acknowledgement of where we are, where we want to be, and how we will get there.

Morality and Ethics in the Workplace

“We have all experienced, at one time or another, situations in which our professional responsibilities unexpectedly come into conflict with our deepest values¼we are caught in a conflict between right and right. And no matter which option we choose, we feel like we’ve come up short.” – Joseph Badaracco

 

Research and empirical studies on moral standards and business ethics is sparse. But if we look at self-reporting surveys we can see some trends. For example:

• An assessment of manager’s values finds that 86% of managers claim moral standards at work are set by the expectations perceived in the work environment.
• A study of organizational ethics finds that a corporation’s culture is a strong determinant of individual thought, behavior, and organizational norms.
• Corporate or organizational culture is recognized as a key contextual influence in establishing and maintaining norms.

The Influence of Leadership

It’s clear that the morality and ethics in the workplace are influenced by the leaders of the organization. When the behaviors of leaders are seen to serve shareholders and themselves, rather than the employees, the community, the environment, or even the customers, there is an increasing sense of distrust of leaders’ motives. They are seen as not telling the truth, and doing whatever it takes to increase stock value.

Such erosion of trust may be pandemic. But as Dr. Marc J. Epstein and Kirk O. Hanson write in Rotten: Why Corporate Misconduct Continues and What to Do about It (Lanark Press, 2020), “While we don’t argue here that corporate behavior has necessarily gotten worse in recent years, we certainly don’t believe it has gotten better.”

When misconduct happens by leaders, it colors all employees’ views of how leaders operate. And when corporate culture is undermined by distrust, the original excitement and enthusiasm about a job turns to cynicism, alienation, and disengagement. When this happens, work suffers.

Institutional Integrity: The Privilege of Pressure

Today’s leaders are the most important and powerful influence in their organizational culture. They understand and embrace the profound privilege and responsibility to create purpose and meaning that drives employee contributions, including innovation and productivity.

In most organizations, stated goals are consistent with the higher values of the organization: the vision of the leader, the organization’s mission, and value statement. This allows all employees to operate in a coherent and consistent manner to achieve stated goals. When employees have no clear picture of the moral or ethical stance of the organization, they tend to operate at the lowest perceived level.

Perhaps more so than ever before, creating and promoting institutional integrity is one of the most important functions of leadership. Moral and ethical stances need to be consistently reiterated and clarified.

Addressing Injustice

Aside from the ongoing unemployment and underemployment in the midst of pandemic, we still have unresolved matters in the American workplace. One of the most pervasive is the injustice of pay inequity, including corporations that pay millions in bonuses to executives and haggle over pennies with salaried and hourly employees.

Yes, we have made some progress in this regard. However, according to a recent Harvard Business Review article (November 2020), a recent self-reported survey of U.S. companies found that only 22% of the 922 largest public companies performed a pay equity audit (PEA) between 2016 and 2020. Until this issue is addressed and adjustments made, leaders will have an ongoing issue with building trust and credibility in organizational cultures.

An analysis of the relationship between ethical behavior and effective leadership reveals that it is a matter of examining both ends and means. Of course, sustainability is a factor: a business must be profitable in order to survive. Service organizations must satisfy consumers’ expectations. Government must meet the needs of its citizens. The ends are the very reason for existence of the enterprise. At the same time, the means by which they achieve those ends are increasingly important.

Discussing Ethics at Work

Questioning moral or ethical viewpoints can trigger defensiveness, outrage, and even aggression toward those who think differently. Such negative responses end up blocking behavioral improvement. However, leaders have the privilege and responsibility to be clear and consistent about their standards and expectations, as well as their own choices and behaviors. This can be accomplished through:

 

1. Leadership development practices. These must include programs on ethical reasoning and decision making. This must be an ongoing process, not a one-shot affair at fulfilling a requirement. The most effective leadership development programs include coaching and/or mentoring. Through executive coaching, issues of personal ethics and moral responsibility must be explored and aligned with organizational values.
2. Leadership programs. These must include selection, development, evaluation and rewards policies that are aligned in such a way as to reflect their support of the values of the organization. When a person is selected for promotion or is rewarded, the organization is making a statement: this person represents our values and standards.

Moral Rebels at Work

There are powerful forces—economic, political, social, and cultural—that may lead us to feel powerless to oppose. It may seem easier to go along to get along. Each person must weigh alternatives and make choices in light of personal values and goals, but also with consideration to organizational and professional success. Clearly, there are times when we must speak out.

As we manage and recover from the pandemic and leaders wake up to needed reforms, there will be an increased emphasis on the need for leadership development programs that include coaching on ethical and moral values. There must be a drive for ethical responsibility if organizations are to thrive.

Ethical Decision Making

Morality and ethics are a daily challenge for managers and leaders. As professionals, they rely on rules, regulations, and policies when it comes to ethical decision making. Most, if not all, have made a promise to “not knowingly do harm.”

Clearly, this is not always an easy promise to keep. After all, life and business are rarely simple; there is a lot of gray between right and wrong. But as Peter Drucker wrote in The Essential Drucker, “Its very modesty and self-constraint make it the right rule for the ethics that managers need, the ethics of responsibility.”

A Framework for Ethical Dilemmas

There are two major approaches philosophers use to address an ethical dilemma:

1. Focus on the practical consequences of what we do. This argues “no harm, no foul.”
2. Focus on the actions themselves, and the “rightness” of the action alone. This argues that some actions are simply wrong in and of themselves.

An effective process includes a solid analysis:

1. Analyze the consequences. Explore all aspects by answering the following questions:

Who will be helped by what I do?

Who will be harmed by what I do?

What is the benefit, and how beneficial? (i.e. minimal, incremental, extremely; short-term and/or long-term)

What is the harm, and how harmful? (i.e. minimal, incremental, extremely; short-term and/or long-term)

2. Analyze the actions. Without thinking about the consequences, consider all of the options from a different perspective. Explore all options by answering these questions:

How do the actions measure up against moral principles like honesty, fairness, equality, respecting the dignity of others, and people’s rights?

Do any of the actions “cross the line?”

If there’s a conflict between principles or between the rights of different people involved, is there a way to see one principle as more important than the others?

Which option offers actions that are least problematic?

3. Make a decision. Consider the answers from steps one and two, and make a decision.

Moral and ethical leadership today require great courage, wisdom, and the right framework to make decisions. And, there is always room for improvement.

Maynard

Dr. Maynard Brusman

Consulting Psychologist & EQ Executive Coach and Mindful Leadership Consultant
Trusted Leadership Advisor

Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coach Federation

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I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

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Questions for Leaders - Habits

Questions for Leaders

Here are some things to discuss if you're working with a coach:

• What are you paying attention to?
• What are your biggest distractions?
• What three habits would bring you quality results?

What do you think? What new habits will transform your leadership? I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached here: [email protected], and on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach

Trusted Leadership Advisor

Emotional intelligence and Mindful Leadership Consultant

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

www.workingresources.com

[email protected]

415-546-1252

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

Identify Transforming Habits

Identify Transforming Habits

1. Clarify your aspiration (or desired outcome).
2. Explore specific behavior options without censoring yourself. Consider those you might do once, those that would become a habit, and even habits you would stop.
3. Match with specific behaviors. Identify your “golden behaviors:” those that are effective (impact), desirable (motivation), and doable (ability).
4. Start tiny.
5. Find a good prompt (anchor).
6. Celebrate successes: emotions create habits. Positive emotions trigger that feel good reward of dopamine, so celebrate immediately: give yourself a pat on the back, a high-five in the mirror, bust a dance move, congratulate yourself, whatever works for you.
7. Troubleshoot, iterate, and expand.

Many leaders and managers use this methodology (intuitively or intentionally) to innovate and manage change within their organization. They understand that by beginning with the smallest, simplest tasks they can build confidence and momentum. When they demonstrate how to turn small behaviors in to powerful habits, they can achieve the results they are looking for.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach

Trusted Leadership Advisor

Emotional intelligence and Mindful Leadership Consultant

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

www.workingresources.com

[email protected]

415-546-1252

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

The Habits that Transform Your Leadership As a leader, which of your habits yield the gre

The Habits that Transform Your Leadership

As a leader, which of your habits yield the greatest productivity and efficiency for you and your organization?

Consider how 80% of our results stems from only 20% of our efforts. Imagine how much more we could accomplish if we created positive habits that devoted more time and energy to those crucial 20 percent of our activities!

Knowing this, it makes sense to identify the 20 percent of your efforts that bring you 80 percent of your results. If you need help with this, consider working with a qualified executive coach. Then, identify three important behaviors you can turn into habits.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach

Trusted Leadership Advisor

Emotional intelligence and Mindful Leadership Consultant

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

www.workingresources.com

[email protected]

415-546-1252

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

A Simple Model to Create New Habits

A Simple Model to Create New Habits

To create a new habit, work through the model, or formula:

Motivation+Ability+Prompt=Behavior

1. Is there a prompt for the desired behavior?
2. Is there ability to complete the desired behavior?
3. Is there motivation to complete the desired behavior?

As any great leader or manager can attest, all of these questions need to be answered as it relates to the individual completing the behavior.

The process of habits includes neurological cravings for the pleasure-inducing neurotransmitter dopamine, which motivate us to take action. However, motivation alone is not enough to help us change our behavior and create a habit.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach

Trusted Leadership Advisor

Emotional intelligence and Mindful Leadership Consultant

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

www.workingresources.com

[email protected]

415-546-1252

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.

When Distractions Become Habits

When Distractions Become Habits

To be sure, some behaviors make for good habits. This includes the behaviors you stopped doing, especially when distractions become habits. In today’s business world, this can make a big difference in your success.

In his recent book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2020) behavior scientist BJ Fogg, PhD, demonstrates how behavior happens when motivation, ability, and prompt converge at the same moment. Fogg illustrates this in the Fogg Behavior Model, whereby motivation is your desire to do the behavior. Ability is your capacity to do the behavior. Prompt is your cue to do the behavior.

You see, the more motivated you are to do a behavior, the more likely you are to do the behavior. When motivation is high, people not only take action when prompted, they can also do difficult things. We’ve seen this happen over and over again this year. People learning new habits to protect themselves, and others. Wearing a mask in public places. Frequently and thoroughly washing their hands.

But, when a task is more difficult to complete—when a new behavior is more challenging to do—the less likely we are to do it. Keeping space between yourself and another person is not always easy when they are not also motivated to do the same.

Motivation and ability work together. If you lack ability, you need greater motivation. Likewise, if you lack motivation, you need greater ability. They are continuous variables, triggered by a prompt. You see, no behavior happens without a prompt. This is great news when you want to disrupt, or change, a behavior. Removing a prompt is sometimes the best course to stop a bad habit.

In Health, Wealth and Happiness,

Maynard

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist & Executive Coach

Trusted Leadership Advisor

Emotional intelligence and Mindful Leadership Consultant

San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond!

www.workingresources.com

[email protected]

415-546-1252

I coach emotionally intelligent and mindful leaders to cultivate trust and full engagement in a purpose-driven culture who produce results.