Be a Soothsaying Leader

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Let’s face it: The world of business has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated trends that were already emerging before the outbreak. From increasing globalization to the surge in hybrid and remote work environments, leaders find themselves in vastly altered circumstances than those which characterized the modern workplace only a decade ago.

Indeed, while change may be inevitable in the contemporary business world, that does not mean it has to be disruptive. Under the right leadership, change can be a catalyst for growth, evolution, and innovation. And that’s why, now more than ever, it helps to be a soothsaying leader.

What is a Soothsaying Leader?

You may not yet have heard of “soothsaying” leadership, but odds are that in these volatile times you’ve encountered the need for exactly the kind of foresight that such a leadership style requires. A soothsaying leader doesn’t seek to avoid or mitigate the impacts of change, whether within the organization or in the marketplace.

Rather, such a leader prioritizes change, particularly the effort to identify and prepare for internal and external trends before they can become disruptive or damaging to the organization. Thus, the soothsayer leader fosters a proactive rather than reactive corporate culture, privileging agility and responsiveness over the status quo.

In closely monitoring emerging trends, these future-oriented leaders aren’t just protecting their companies from being caught flatfooted in periods of significant change, but they’re also staking an important leadership position within their industry. And there’s perhaps no better way than this to keep the organization healthy and its competitive positioning strong.

Mind the Data

If you want to be an effective soothsayer for your business, then the first thing you’re going to need to do is to focus on the data. To detect and understand relevant changes in the market, the industry, or your company, you must know how to collect, analyze, and translate salient data into actionable business strategies.

For example, data analytics can alert you to significant shifts in consumer demand. This can enable you to begin modifying both your product portfolio and your brand strategy to align with and even to lead and direct this evolving trend. For example, today’s consumers are far more socially conscious than in decades past, and organizations that were able to establish themselves effectively as leaders in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) or the green/sustainability movements early on now have a definitive advantage in the marketplace.

The Role of Inclusivity

In addition to harnessing the power of data analytics to support a forward-thinking leadership model, one of the most important things you can do to be a soothsayer for your team is to emphasize workplace inclusivity.

Groupthink, after all, is a persistent threat in any team environment, but that risk increases as diversity decreases. If you want to be a future-focused, agile, and proactive leader, then you need to build an inclusive and diverse team that provides an array of perspectives and experiences.

Consider, for example, the issue of gender identity and its implications for marketing. It is only in recent years that the concept of gender fluidity and non-binary persons has arrived at the front of social discourse and consciousness, perpetuating the marginalization that too many in the LGBTQ+ community have traditionally felt. Today, however, binary gender can no longer be considered an unquestionable given, whether in marketing, business, or leadership

Soothsaying leaders, in other words, will understand and act upon the implications of these important social, cultural, and marketplace innovations. Future-oriented business leaders in the fashion industry, for instance, may lead product design and creative marketing teams in innovating and promoting gender-fluid apparel for a rapidly changing market.

Teambuilding as a Soothsayer

Any experienced leader knows that there’s a profound distinction between work groups and cohesive teams. Leaders also know, though, that bridging this gap, transforming groups into teams, is no mean feat.

Soothsaying leaders, however, have a unique advantage in achieving this pivotal goal because their forward-thinking attributes can be leveraged to unite individual group members in a shared vision of success. This is an outstanding way to ensure that a disparate group gels into a highly-functioning team than by ensuring that your employees are all pulling in the same direction, all striving toward a shared target of what tomorrow will, should, and must look like.

The Takeaway

The world of business today is one marked by uncertainty, one deploy inflected with the unexpected. But that does not mean that change has to be either disruptive or damaging. Indeed, soothsaying leaders can transform inevitable market and workplace evolutions into opportunities for innovation and improvement. All that is required is the cultivation of a future-oriented leadership style that privileges both data and diversity. In this way, the soothsaying leader leverages the power of numbers and the perspectives of their people to help define what tomorrow will look like. Armed with such knowledge, the forward-focused leader builds a business strategy that is proactive, agile, and innovative, all key ingredients for long-term success.

About the Author: Luke Smith is a writer and researcher turned blogger. Since finishing college he is trying his hand at being a freelance writer. He enjoys writing on a variety of topics but technology and business topics are his favorite. When he isn't writing you can find him traveling, hiking, or gaming.

Lean Quote: A Mistake that Makes You Humble is Better

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Perhaps a sin that humbles you is better than a good deed that makes you arrogant."   —  Sheikh Hamza Yusuf

Perhaps a better way to think of this quote is: 

“A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.” 

Learning from errors and mistakes seems to be the mantra of our time. Lean Thinking has turned the ability to experiment and quickly learn from mistakes into a core competence for the early 21st Century. Studies also show that people who learn from errors are more creative, more resilient and show higher performance in volatile work environments. 

But learning from errors is easier said than done. So many people become defensive when something goes wrong and avoid talking about it. The fear is too great to look stupid or to be blamed for making the mistake. As a result, we rather analyze successes than failures, which hinders the learning from mistakes. 

People who effectively learn from mistakes share one common characteristic: humility. Humility is a willingness to view oneself accurately, a displayed appreciation of others’ strengths and contributions, and teachability. 

Humble people are willing to see themselves accurately and appreciate feedback. Errors and mistakes provide feedback on one’s own actions. So humble people see value in errors and the information that they provide for their own learning. This gives them an edge over others. 

Yokoten, Learning From Others’ Experience

Knowledge is the single biggest asset of any organization. Successful organizations have realized and maintained knowledge sharing as a key part of their business. The very reason an employee is hired is because of their knowledge and expertise in a given field and how they can use that knowledge in taking the company to the next level. 

There are many benefits for a knowledge sharing organization: 

• Best practices developed in one part of the organization are accepted in another part 
• New information is not lost or overlooked because people can translate it to knowledge and pass it on 
• Knowledge is about knowing both the why and the how, and when you have both you can continuously improve current standards, faster than competitors  
• Accelerates the process of moving to the next target, continuously improving business processes  
• Stimulates innovation 

While knowledge plays a crucial role in an organization’s success, not many efforts are put in sharing, managing, and preserving it. At Toyota a key aspect of helping knowledge sharing permeate their business is “Yokoten.” 

Yokoten is a Japanese term that can be roughly translated as "across everywhere." In the Japanese lean system, it is used to mean "best practice sharing." Yokoten, the term Toyota adopted to capture the idea of horizontal transfer of information and knowledge across an organization. Yokoten is more peer-to-peer, with the expectation that people go see for themselves and learn how another area improved or solved a problem.  

Inside of organizations, there is so much untapped knowledge. To combat this, over the past two decades, companies have invested millions of dollars in knowledge management systems. The objective has been to capture the company’s knowledge. Yokoten is a form of knowledge management. It encompasses the methods of documenting and distributing knowledge about what works and what doesn't. As a knowledge management device, Yokoten makes knowledge organizational, not individual. Yokoten is a two-way street, requiring proactive effort from both those acquiring and developing the knowledge and those who could benefit from greater understanding of the requirements for success. 

If others are doing well, people tend to be interested in what they are doing and how they're doing it, so that they, too, can be successful. Sharing best practices is a key part attributing to the success of any organization. Similar to the old saying, "Learn from other's mistakes," it's important to learn from individual experiences, but it's much easier and more effective to learn from the experiences, mistakes and successes of others. 

Much of best practice knowledge is tacit - held in people's heads and not always easy to document. Therefore, most best practice programs combine two key elements: explicit knowledge such as a best practices database (connecting people with information), and methods for sharing tacit knowledge such as communities of practice (connecting people with people). Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. These two approaches are complementary. A database can provide enough information for a potential user of the best practice to find it and decide if it is worth pursuing further. However, the best way of sharing best practices is 'on the job' and so communities and personal contact with others who have used the best practice is key. 

Yokoten is an essential part of long-term success in a lean culture but can also have a big impact on short-term results. Yokoten is a success multiplier. Senior leaders must actively go see, recognize good work and require others to go see. Management must organize presentations of successful kaizen projects and invite colleagues to attend and learn. Team and department leaders must actively engage members in studying kaizen examples, motivating them to start kaizen on their own. Project leaders and continuous improvement professionals must put Yokoten on their checklists and follow up rigorously. 

Regardless of your path on the Lean journey, focusing on the accumulation and transfer of knowledge and learnings as embodied in the concept of Yokoten can have a tremendous impact on the overall results and success of the Lean programs. 

Lean Roundup #153 – February 2022

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of February 2022.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Signs of Spring – Bruce Hamilton shares several metaphorical lessons from the witch hazel and its co-inhabitants of his yard at spring.

Leading to Learn: Ask More, Tell Less – Mark Rosenthal explains the value of asking leading questions to achieve a higher level of implementation of ideas.

Nick Saban on the Power of Process Thinking – Pascal Dennis talks about Alabama football coach Nick Saban and how his approach aligns with process thinking. 

Visual Management – Michael Baudin discusses the key points of visual management and point of intervention.

A Common Tool Trap: the Tool Will Help Your Delivery and Planning Problems – Johanna Rothman explains why tools don't help you work better—they reflect how you work now.

The NBA’s Steph Curry, the Taguchi Loss Function, and Deming’s Funnel Experiment – Mark Graban shares story of Steph Curry’s NBA shooting percentage with statistical analysis and process improvement.

The Continuous Improvement Culture Model – John Knotts explores various facets of a model for building a culture of continuous improvement.

Leverage the Power of Safety to Drive Cultural Transformation – Kevin Meyer describes how making safety a priority can transform your organization.

Leader Standard Work for Time and Contingency Planning – Jon Miller discusses how time planning and contingency planning highlights the important practice of creating and following leader standard work.

Ask Art: Why is a Lean Sensei Necessary? – Art Byrne explains the importance of a lean sensei to bring knowledge and experience on how to transition from traditional management to lean management.

6 Things You Can Do to Become a More Effective Lean Leader – LEI shares a collection of articles from David Verble on how the way managers and leaders talk to employees (and to each other) can contribute, or be a barrier to, creating and sustaining a culture of engagement and continuous improvement.

Lean Quote: The Servan-Leader is Servant First

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"The servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first."   —  Robert Greenleaf

In a team led by a servant leader, the leader is one part of the team, and his role isn’t necessarily more important than the role of any other member. Being a servant leader means accepting responsibility for the team—its members, objectives, reputation, morale, and more. The servant leader recognizes that they are responsible to the team, not the other way around, and they act accordingly. Servant leaders lead teams that people want to join.

Servant leaders understand what success looks like, not just for the team as a whole but also for each member. A servant leader enables the success of those they leads, removing barriers and creating an environment for the team to succeed. To be a servant leader to a high-performing team, you’ll need to listen carefully, be attuned to the people around you, and empathically understand what they’re thinking. The servant leader knows their team’s capabilities and desires.

At the same time, servant leadership is more than just doing what the others want. Leaders need to lead—to set direction and lead team members in that direction. Sometimes they need to hold team members accountable, to make tough decisions that some won’t always like, and to encourage (push) people to excel. Sometimes, this is uncomfortable—for the leader and for team members. If leaders don’t do this, however, teams may become too “cozy”; they may lose their edge and start to fail their members.

Effective servant leaders care about others and about helping them succeed as individuals and as a group. Group members can see when a leader cares about their needs and is focused on their success. That service earns him the group’s respect. When a person has that respect, they have earned the title and role of leader.

In your lives today and in the future, you will have many opportunities to lead. If you accept the role of a servant leader, you’ll find that teams will seek you out to lead them, your advice and opinion will be sought, and your team members will also grow and succeed.

From a point/counterpoint perspective, servant leaders:

• Need to listen and know when the time for discussion is over.

• Achieve consensus, but know when to preserve things that are good without floundering in a constant storm of question and reinvention.

• Set/maintain standards and know when to reject what does not maintain those standards or the team vision.

• Serve their customers and know how to make a difference with the team.

Please think about how you can be a servant leader in your current role.

15 Tips to Improve Your Leadership

When you hear the word “leadership” what comes to mind? There are numerous definitions of leadership. For me leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen. Effective leadership comes down to people. It is about the ability to successfully engage and maximize all human resources for the attainment that vision.

Here are some tips for being a good leader in your company.

KEEP YOUR WORD. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.

BE FAIR TO ALL. A good leader shows no favorites. Don’t allow friendships to keep you from being fair to all members of your company or department.

BE A GOOD COMMUNICATOR. You don’t need a commanding voice to be a good leader, but you must be willing to step out front with an effective “Let’s go.” A good leader knows how to get and give information so that everyone understands what’s happening.

BE WILLING TO ACCEPT IDEAS FROM OTHER PEOPLE. It encourages other leaders to offer suggestions and ideas you may not have thought of. Their ideas may help deliver a better program for the company. When you are open to their ideas and willing to adopt good ones, the other leaders will have more ownership of the final plan than if you (or an adult) simply dictate to them what the company is going to do.

BE FLEXIBLE. Not everything goes as planned. Be prepared to shift to “Plan B” when “Plan A” doesn’t work. Think about “Plan C.”

BE ORGANIZED. The time you spend planning will be repaid many times over.

DELEGATE. Some leaders assume that the task will not get done unless they do it themselves. Most people like to be challenged with a task. Empower your team members to do things they have never tried, because they want to be trusted to perform their duties.

FOLLOW UP. When people are given assignments, follow up at appropriate times to make sure they haven’t forgotten what they are supposed to do and when. This can avoid problems when a critical aspect of an outing hasn’t been planned or supplies weren’t obtained. However, be careful not to micromanage others to the point that they stop doing things on their own and simply wait for your instructions.

SET AN EXAMPLE. The most important thing you can do is lead by example. Whatever you do, your employees are likely to do the same. A cheerful attitude can keep everyone’s spirits up.

BE CONSISTENT. Nothing is more confusing than a leader who acts one way one moment and another way a short time later. If your employees knows what to expect from you, they will more likely respond positively to your leadership. If you need to change the plan or change your instructions in light of things you didn’t consider earlier, explain this to the company so they will see the need to follow you.

GIVE PRAISE. The best way to get credit is to give it away. Often a “nice job” is all the praise necessary to make a employee feel they are contributing to the efforts of the company.

ASK FOR HELP. Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help. You have many resources at your disposal. When confronted with a situation you don’t know how to handle, ask someone with more experience for some advice and direction.

CRITICIZE IN PRIVATE. There will be times when you must provide an employee with critical feedback. Pull the employee aside and quietly explain what they is doing wrong. Add a suggestion on how it should be done correctly. Criticizing in public will undermine the employee’s self-esteem and may cause them to quit trying. Never criticize a leader in front of their department. Doing so will undermine their authority and make it more difficult than ever to carry out their role.

ACCEPT CRITICISM AS A GIFT. You may get criticism from other employees and possibly from the adult leaders. If someone tells you that you aren’t doing a good job, ask them what they mean and how you might improve. Criticism, when offered and received properly, can give you ideas for performing your role better. Being open to suggestions and adopting those that will benefit your company are signs of a good leader.

HAVE FUN. Most of all, have fun learning to be a leader. Your joy and enthusiasm will spread to other employees and will help energize the activities of the company.

Good leadership is not reflected in the leader’s actions, it is reflected in the impact and effect of those actions on the team. The best leaders don’t put people in a box – they free them from boxes. Ultimately, a leader’s job isn’t to create followers, but to strive for ubiquitous leadership.

While there are people who seem to be naturally endowed with more leadership abilities than others, I believe that people can learn to become leaders by concentrating on improving these leadership skills with the tips outlined above.

Three Leadership Lessons Past Presidents Can Teach Today’s Business Leaders

Every year, Americans celebrate Presidents Day as a day of remembrance — a day to look back and learn from our nation’s leaders. In today’s competitive market, business leaders are looking for the edge that will put their organization and workforce ahead of the curve.

This Presidents Day, Monday, Feb. 21, it might be time to dust off your history books and delve into the wisdom of the past. Here are three leadership lessons past presidents can teach today’s business leaders.

Develop A Bold and Resilient Attitude

In times of crises, persons with a high tolerance for stress, anxiety, and frustration are less likely to make impulsive or emotional decisions. It’s this sort of resilience that will allow President’s to cope with natural disasters, nuclear threats, and everyday life challenges.

Strengthen your resilience by accepting that change and disorder is a part of life. Rather than detach yourself from stressful situations, embrace the opportunity and take decisive action towards improving the situation, one step at a time.

Establish a Strategy, Not Goals

Goals are easy to create and even easier to toss out the window. In addition, goals can be too broad or big to tackle at first glance. Rather than set yourself up for failure, create a strategy that will help you reach your destination.

Take Risks and Take Ownership of the Consequences

Progress in life can only manifest out of action. It’s not enough to hope or dream of taking actions; a leader must also be ready to act. To do this, confidence in one self is key. Develop confidence in yourself by doing your homework and trusting your instincts.

Secondly, a leader must also take ownership to the results of his or her actions. Whether it’s working on a team or striving to lead the free world, a leader cannot pass blame to other members on the team.

Maintain an optimistic outlook and support team members to get the job done.

I hope this article inspired you to celebrate President’s Day by toning and developing essential leadership skills!