Recommended summer reading for 2013

As you plan your summer reading list, I hope you are including some of the great books about leadership that have been published recently.  Here are two that I have just finished.  I recommend them both, and I see some interesting connections between them.

“The Fearless Fish Out of Water:  How to Succeed When You’re the Only One Like You” by Robin Fisher Roffer (2009, John Wiley & Sons) is a wonderful summary of the value of authenticity, of figuring out those characteristics that are uniquely yours, and of building on those traits.  Robin argues for being true to your values and to using those core tenets as a basis for exploring new experiences.  Her book is filled with stories from her own adventures, as well as those of friends and colleagues, and these provide great illustrations of the power of understanding yourself as a springboard to success.

Those of you who participated in Southern Polytechnic State University’s 2012 Women’s Leadership Initiative may recognize Robin’s name.  Her earlier book, “Make a Name for Yourself:  8 Steps Every Woman Needs to Create a Personal Brand of Strategy for Success” (2002, Crown Business), was on that group’s recommended list of “Leadership Books for Women.”  

I also recommend Jennifer Kahnweiler’s “Quiet Influence: The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference” (2013, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.).  Jennifer highlights the powerful skills that enable introverts to be highly successful leaders and change agents.  This book is about much more than helping introverts succeed in an extroverted world;  Jennifer makes a strong case for how developing “introverted strengths” can benefit everyone.  Indeed, extroverts may find particular value in focusing on enhancing their skills in preparation, engaged listening, focused conversations, writing, and the thoughtful use of social media.  Like Robin, Jennifer uses real-life examples that illustrate her points.  This new publication builds on Jennifer’s previous book, “The Introverted Leader” (originally published in 2009 and re-released in 2013, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.);  I know a number of participants in SPSU’s Women’s Leadership Initiative have already read that book.

At their centers, both Robin’s and Jennifer’s books begin with the importance of understanding yourself in order to be a strong and effective leader.  Knowing your motivations, values, strengths, and blind spots is a critical first step in leading others to accomplish great things.  Personal authenticity is vital to leadership – and to helping others be their authentic selves. 

I encourage you to add Robin’s and Jennifer’s books to your summer reading list.  What else is on your list?

Mentors, role models, and the Queen Bee Syndrome

I spent some of last week at the American Council on Education (ACE) annual meeting in D.C., which was preceded by meetings of ACE’s Women’s Network Executive Council (which I currently chair) and of the state coordinators for the Women’s Network.  The Network focuses on developing women leaders and helping them advance to leadership positions in higher education.

One clear message from these conversations was the importance of mentors — women and men who can provide guidance, perspective, support, and ideas when they are needed.  Many of the women who are already serving in leadership positions can link their success to one or more mentors who helped them at critical points in their careers.

As these groups were discussing the best ways to help other women, the concept of the “Queen Bee” arose.  I was unfamiliar with the term, although I certainly understand the meaning.  The Queen Bee is a woman who does not help other women;  indeed, the Queen Bee may actively block advancement and undermine other women.   Her attitude can be summarized as “My career progression was tough for me, so I’ll make it tough for you.”

In the last week, I have learned that the Queen Bee Syndrome is pervasive — and it’s not new.  The term dates to the 1970s, when researchers at the University of Michigan identified the workplace behavior that some women exhibit.  One of the interesting outcomes is that this may lead to women being more comfortable working for men than for other women — which is an unfortunate situation.  The Wall Street Journal published an excellent summary last week in an article titled “The Tyranny of the Queen Bee.”  I heartily recommend the article.  Here’s the URL: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323884304578328271526080496.html?KEYWORDS=PEGGY+DREXLER.

In other parts of the ACE meetings, I met some amazing women who serve as role models for many of us (and undoubtedly mentors for some).  The president of California State University – San Marcos told a story about how excited her then-campus was when she was appointed as the first woman dean earlier in her career — and then how, a year later, a group told her that they were disappointed by her leadership.  The reason?  The other women didn’t see her banging her fist on the table and generally behaving like the men;  even the women thought that bluster was the only effective leadership style.

The president of University of Texas – Brownsville and Texas Southmost College talked about experiences in her 25 years in that role and as the first Mexican-American woman to become a college or university president in the U.S.  Her stories include being sued by the Department of Homeland Security because she refused to let them build a wall across the middle of her campus, which straddles the US-Mexico border.

The president of Pierpont Community & Technical College (a relatively new institution in West Virginia) told me an inspiring story about earning her doctorate through a program designed for women on welfare — which she was.  She was a single parent, raising children and living on food stamps, when she discovered a scholarship program designed to help women in such situations earn a college degree.  Of course, the scholarship was designed to encourage the pursuit of associates and bachelors degrees, but the program didn’t prohibit funding for masters and doctoral degrees.  She met the criteria, and she won the scholarship.  She describes herself as having a highly unlikely background for a president — and she spoke about the value of a mentor who simply challenged her with “Why not earn your doctorate?  Why not become a president?”  She will be a great mentor, too.

In 2006, the Women’s National Basketball Association held an event titled “Celebrating Inspiration,” at which the WNBA’s All-Decade Team was honored.  The keynote speaker was Madeline Albright, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and then Secretary of State.  In her remarks, she said, “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.”

I think that also means there is a special place in heaven for those who do help women succeed and advance in their careers.  I certainly hope so.

 

Leadership lessons from the scarab

A colleague here at Southern Polytechnic State University gives a speech about “Think like a bee.”  Her point is that groups of people (like bees) can accomplish things by working together that individuals cannot, and she makes a great point.  But after hearing a piece on NPR recently about another insect, I think dung beetles also have much to commend themselves.

The report cites a study on how dung beetles navigate and the discovery that they use the stars to plot their routes.  (We already knew that they use the Sun and Moon.)  Being able to chart a straight-line path is an important survival tool for dung beetles.  When they score material in a fresh dung pile, the beetles shape some into a sphere and roll it away before another beetle steals it.  This new study explains how the beetles are able to roll their balls in a straight line on a dark (but clear) night by using the Milky Way.  Here’s a link to the transcript: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/29/170588505/scientists-discover-dung-beetles-use-the-milky-way-for-gps.

In truth, learning from dung beetles is not a new idea.  One of my fellow associate academic vice presidents at Cal Poly Pomona was an entomologist who specialized in dung beetles.  Within Academic Affairs at Cal Poly, Dave was responsible for faculty issues, which meant he spent most of his time working with the faculty union, personnel issues, and related topics.  Dave introduced all of us in the office to the concept of the “24-hour crust,” which he applied to difficult situations in the office.  (Lots of things, including dung balls, are easier to handle if they are allowed to sit for a day.)

Based on the information in the NPR report (from research published in Current Biology), we know that those little guys can roll their dung balls (up to 10-20 times their own weight) in a straight line because they are using the heavens to navigate.  In this case, individual stars don’t seem to be the key, but rather the white smear that billions of stars in the Milky Way create in the night sky.

One of the ways the researchers pursued their work – to be sure the beetles were really navigating by the heavens – was to put little cardboard hats on the beetles, so that they couldn’t see the sky.  The result?  They wandered around in circles.  I was, of course, curious about what a dung beetle looks like wearing a hat, so I located a photograph from the original paper.  In truth, I like my mental image better, but you can judge for yourself.  Here’s a link to an online summary of the original research article, which includes a photo of a beetle with a cap:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982212015072.

My friend Dave would also point out the role of dung beetles in art.  Scarab is just another name for a dung beetle.  The ancient Egyptians drew a parallel between how the Sun god rolled the sun across the sky and how the scarab rolls its dung ball across the ground.  (And this was long before anyone knew the beetles were actually using the Sun to navigate!)  The scarab amulet was thought to bring good luck.

So – dung beetles more than pull (or push) their own weight.  They focus on their goal.  They frequently stop and look around to evaluate their environment.  They can do celestial  navigation.  They can work in teams.  They model efficiency, patience, and persistence.

And if we take only one lesson from these beetles, this is a good one:  Stop every once in a while and look up at the stars.

The anti-resolutions for 2013

Most new year’s resolutions begin by putting goals on our to-do list for the coming year:  exercise more, make healthier food choices, be more patient with Aunt Mildred.  Several recent articles have emphasized the value of setting new year’s goals to take things off the list – focusing on what we won’t do and, at the same time, on how we can simplify our lives.  Particularly good articles include ones on the websites for “Little PINK Book” (http://littlepinkbook.com/little-pink-book/8-things-top-women-wont-do-2013-top-women-profile) and GOOD (http://www.good.is/posts/what-s-your-new-year-s-unresolution).

Earlier this week, I asked the faculty and staff who participated in Southern Polytechnic State University’s 2012 Women’s Leadership Initiative about their “anti-resolutions” and whether they were planning to cross anything off their lists in 2013.  They offered some great responses about what they plan not to do, which are listed below.  If we can all manage to avoid doing these things – imagine how our lives will improve in the coming year!

The anti-resolutions:

• I will stop multi-tasking. 
• I will release myself from the “paralysis of analysis” and the tendency to over-think things.
• I will stop being my own biggest critic.
• I will not try to handle everything myself.
• I will stop wasting a full hour at lunch stuffing my mouth.
• I will not allow the time that I want to save for myself to be scheduled last.
• I will stop keeping my light from shining in both work and my personal life.
• I will not waste my food calories by eating junk food.
• I will stop giving up the time I had set aside to get my work done just because it’s more convenient for someone else to schedule a meeting during that time.
• I will stop drinking sodas and other drinks filled with sugar.
• I will spend less money.
• I will stop being a couch potato — and I will get out and enjoy life!
• I will stop staying up late, working on miscellaneous things that can wait until the next day.
• I will not eat a heavy meal and then go to sleep.
• I will not spend all my time on routine activities.
• I will stop worrying about the future and try to live in the moment.
• I will reduce the number of courses I take (in my current graduate program) so that I can give each course my full attention.
• I will spend less time with people who sap my energy.
• I will not feel compelled to be connected to my work 24/7.
• I will stop feeling guilty for doing my work, rather than doing what other people want me to do for them.
• I will not give up when I come across difficulties, setbacks, or misunderstandings.

Brava, colleagues!  Good luck in not achieving these goals!

Developing a plan

When I was in college, we all assumed that jobs – and careers — would appear when we graduated.  Most of us found the Career Center on campus a few weeks before graduation, when we walked in and stated, “I need a job.”

In the current economic and technological climate, the process of finding a job starts much earlier, and job seekers have access to a massive amount of information about opportunities, salary ranges, and openings.  The sheer volume of data makes an organized approach to careers even more important.  Traditionally, such discussions have happened with faculty advisors, employers, mentors, and friends.  The quality of the conversation varied greatly.  Many people used the “spaghetti” approach to figuring out which the career they were most interested in pursuing.  (You remember the story about the apocryphal roommate who tested whether the pasta was done by throwing it against the wall to see if it sticks, don’t you?)  I’ve known a number of people who have applied for so many job openings that the process looked random.  When a job possibility worked out, they would try it out to see if it “stuck.”  If so, great.  If not, they would cast more applications into the world and try something new.  This approach is neither thoughtful nor productive, and it often wastes the time and energy of both the job seeker and the employers. 

People with leadership skills are more likely to take charge of the situation and approach the job – and career – process with a plan.  One effective approach is the “individual development plan,” or IDP.  This has been used in some workplaces to help employees set personal goals (whether to build on strengths or address weaknesses), but the value can be much broader and more valuable, and it can be used in both career planning and performance improvement.

Lots of consultants will be happy to help you develop an IDP for a fee, and a Google search will produce a number of bureaucratic-looking templates, but the format matters less than the process.  The most important aspect is thinking through your personal skills and interests, looking at where the gaps may be, and considering options in the context of your values and motivators.  Many different paths can accomplish this goal, and the self-knowledge gained in the process is particularly important.  The result can be a clearer sense of direction, specific goals for improvement, and a greater sense of accomplishment and satisfaction,

However, some tools are more useful than others.  One that has just become available is myIDP.org (http://myIDP.sciencecareers.org), a web-based tool that is supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s “Science Careers.”  The site includes assessment tools with a series of questions to help you identify your talents and interests.  Leadership ability is part of the equation.  The outcome is a suggested list of careers to consider, along with personalized development plan and a mechanism for holding yourself accountable with e-mail reminders.  The site is free and confidential, although the focus is clearly on preparation for careers in science and engineering.

A number of business leaders have recently called for replacing annual performance reviews with an individual development plan.  (One worthy example is Samuel Culbert’s article titled “Get Rid of the Performance Review!” in The Wall Street Journal, available online at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122426318874844933.html and most recently updated on June 21, 2012.)  The criticisms of annual reviews include the anxiety they create, the real or inferred punishment for honest self-appraisals, and the negative effect on teamwork.  I’ve certainly observed the destructive aspects of “annual reviews” on individuals and teams.  Changing the conversation to being about individual development makes great sense to me.  Whether the actual development process uses myIDP.org or some other approach, the end result can be valuable. 

Leadership is about developing the talents of others, not punishing their weaknesses.  As we are all thinking about resolutions and plans for the new year, is this a good time to consider an IDP – for ourselves and others? 

The power of group mentoring

I had the opportunity in November 2012 to attend the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (all of my academic degrees are in the geosciences), and I was able to attend a session titled “Women in Geology Mentor Program.”  This mentoring program for students is a regular feature of this annual meeting.  After developing a women’s leadership program on my campus last spring, I was interested in seeing how this one worked.

I was amazed by the number of women who came to this event.  The room overflowed with women geologists.  Most of them, but certainly not all, were students.  Every square foot of surface area (aside from the small stage) was filled with women sitting in chairs, standing along the walls, and sitting on the floor, listening to what the five speakers had to say.  The diversity among the speakers was impressive.  They were at various stages of their careers, from a new hire at an oil company to a senior leader with the U.S. Geological Survey.  One was an assistant professor at a liberal arts college;  another was a senior faculty member at a research university.  And still another was in the midst of a career transition from university administration to educational and outreach programming at a science museum.

In a sense, this was a group mentoring session, with five professional women serving as the mentors and over 120 protégés hanging on every word they said.  They told stories of opportunities, luck, and hard work.  They described setbacks, sponsors, and examples of both good and bad advice.  They spoke of frustration, resilience, and the critical importance of keeping a sense of humor. 

The event was a valuable reminder that mentoring can happen in many ways – and it can be provided by many people in multiple forms.  The pairing of a mentor and protégé is one way to accomplish this, but the larger-scale group format that I witnessed at this professional meeting can also be effective. 

One of the speakers summarized the messages she had heard during the session:

• Assume paths to success and leadership will be circuitous.
• Expect serendipity to play a role in your career.
• Stay open to opportunities that appear unexpectedly.
• Be patient.
• Persevere.
• Focus on your goals – and learn to say “no.”

This mentoring event at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America typically draws between 100 and 150 people.  The feedback forms illustrate the power of a program like this.  Typical comments include “I had no idea there were this many strong women in geology,” “I laughed and I cried at the stories I heard,” and “This session changed my life.”

I’m sure similar sessions and opportunities like this one exist in many academic disciplines.  As we think about ways to promote women’s leadership in higher education, let’s remember the importance of developing leadership within the disciplines.  Not all leadership happens in an administrative or corporate setting, and mentoring young women propagates leadership skills throughout our society, regardless of whether these women pursue careers in higher education, geology, health care, engineering, banking, or any other field.  As evidenced by this program, mentoring can have a powerful influence on people’s lives.

Don’t shoot the messenger

Much has been said and written recently about the importance of leaders creating an environment in which people are willing to “speak truth to power.”

Earlier this month, the presidents of the University System of Georgia institutions had a retreat, at which we discussed leadership.  One topic was the lessons that can be learned from recent events at Pennsylvania State University (sexual abuse that was not reported by people who had reason to know about it) and Emory University (falsified enrollment data that were submitted in surveys and which were not reported by those responsible for the data integrity).

Some of the presidents talked about the importance of creating a climate in which people are encouraged to tell the truth and of not shooting the messenger when bad news is delivered.  (These are things the leadership team here at Southern Polytechnic talks about with some regularity.)  Everyone seemed to agree on this point, although how this actually plays out in a campus environment is less clear.

One of the presidents added that anyone who doesn’t report information in a timely way needs to be punished immediately.  My reaction was that this attitude has the potential to undermine the goal of creating a respectful working environment in which people feel safe sharing information – both good and bad.  It seems to me that reprimanding people for their timing may do nearly as much to discourage the honest reporting of problems as chastising them for the news they bring.  And how could someone sort out the difference between being punished for the message or castigated for the timing?

The better leadership solution, it seems to me, is a continual focus on building trust throughout the organization.  Key ways to do this include dealing with bad news calmly, focusing on solutions, and never shooting the messenger.  The reservoir of trust will pay off enormously when bad news comes around.