I considered myself fortunate to have Frances Hesselbein as a contributor to The Power of Professionalism. She’s a remarkable woman. The legendary Peter Drucker once called Frances the most effective executive he had ever met. I better understood what Drucker meant when I interviewed Frances in her New York office in April 2008. Recently Fortune ran an article on Frances–ninety six years young and still going strong. I thought you’d appreciate reading it.
‘Professional’–A Super Identity
Mitch Wasden— chief executive officer at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—recently posted an interesting article on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network about ‘Identity’. Those of you familiar with The Power of Professionalism know that one’s ‘professional’ identity is at core of my new book. ‘Professional’ , as I point out in my follow-up comment to Mitch’s article on the HBR site, is really a ‘super identity’. It’s unique. Check out Mitch’s article–along with my comment. I’ve also re-printed my comment below:
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“Identity, indeed, is at the root of so many of one’s decisions and subsequent actions. And Mitch is right that identities can work at cross purposes. It’s my view there’s one identity In the workplace that trumps all others—that of being a professional. It’s like a super identity. It’s powerful because it truly identifies who you are — not what you do. This helps minimize the cross-purpose problem.”
“After all, isn’t that what an identity is supposed to do….give us a clear picture of who we are…as opposed to what we do ( being an ‘expert’, being an accountant, etc). Too often our identities are centered on what our vocation or expertise is (what we do). Do those Identities drive our decisions and actions? Absolutely! But…
…it’s my view it’s more important to be a professional who happens to be an expert….more important to be a professional who happens to write code…be a nurse…or be a CEO for that matter. The reason is simple….it’s because of how the professional thinks…the professional holds certain mind-sets.”
“For instance, a professional realizes they’re part of something bigger than themselves–and they act like it. So take the expert in the meeting in which he’s challenged. Sure his ego is going to take a hit….but which identity would you prefer the individual to hold in that situation…”I’m an expert” or “I’m a professional who happens to be an expert”? Which identity would contribute to a more constructive outcome–for the individual expert as well as the group collectively? Which identity would help avoid a contentious confrontation? Which identity would best aid a constructive conversation? Which identity is going to help the ‘expert’ bring out his ‘best self’ in that situation?”
“I’ve found that it’s the latter —“I’m a professional who happens to be an expert”. The professional knows by default (because of being part of ‘something bigger’) that “I’m a team member”—and (generally) they act accordingly. This is why one’s ‘professional’ identity trumps other, arguably more tactical, ones.”
NOTE: I’ve identified seven mind-sets held by trusted professionals…the one above, plus six others. .
“Unfortunately, too often we’ve forgotten what it really means to be a professional. Consistent with that, I’ve also found that few hold ‘professional’ as a core part of their identity. That’s unfortunate, but it’s something I’m working on.”
Bill Wiersma, Author– The Power of Professionalism (2011)
Getting Out Of Your Own Way
Mind-set #1 is about having a bias for results. Get results and you’ll be trusted. Simple. Naturally, people say they hold this mind-set…after all, that’s what they feel others expect them to say. But saying you’re committed and demonstrating it are two different things. It’s when one’s buttons get pushed, when one’s comfort zone gets invaded that you really find out whether the commitment is real or faux. Turning up the heat acts as the ultimate stress test…as you’ll soon out if you’re committed to really delivering results or not.
What happens when:
***the entrepreneur with a great new idea seriously questions whether they are the right person to bring the idea to fruition.
***the senior officer in the Fortune 500 realizes she’s about to hire someone smarter and perhaps more capable than she is.
***the managing partner who willingly steps aside to aid the ensuing merger with another firm.
Sometimes getting out of our own way is the very best thing we can do in bringing forth the best possible results. It may require that we put our ego aside or lose control to a third party. It may result in being relegated to the shadows, instead of the spotlight. It may mean taking a short term financial hit. It may just break our heart. Know in the end it’s always few who take this less-traveled road. They may not like it, but they do it anyway. After all, it’s who they are—namely professionals.
How Mind-Set Three Aids Fledgling Entrepreneurs In Venture Funding
I recently attended a chapter meeting of the Keiretsu Forum. The Keiretsu Forum provides a medium for young, high-potential companies needing venture funding to meet potential investors. The companies need the funding to sustain their current operations or, more typically, take their business to the next level. Obtaining that funding is critical! For some, the lack of additional venture funding can mean languishing in mediocrity or worse.
The investors can be a tough bunch…and well they should. Many of these enterprises must overcome long odds to succeed. Investors need to be both thoughtful and prudent. They routinely scrutinize balance sheets, market strategies, and the like. But often their greatest scrutiny is of the entrepreneur’s themselves. It’s, arguably, the most important factor to get right.
Investors love “coachable entrepreneurs”. Why? Because entrepreneurs who can’t learn ‘on the fly’ will likely fail. And investors–who typically were once successful entrepreneurs themselves—often become the source of deep insights for the fledgling entrepreneur-leader. Often the investors are the entrepreneur’s best source of advice.
Know-it-all entrepreneurs usually have a short business life-span. The fast and furious start-up experience has too many moving parts –each of which requires specialized expertise–for people not to ask for advice.
On the other hand, entrepreneurs who are constantly asking questions (because they realize there’s so much they don’t know) have a much better shot at flourishing. These are people who have a mind-set that suggests that ‘things get better when they get better’ (mind-set #3). They plan, execute, evaluate and learn….then repeat the process until they get it right.
When an investor comes to the conclusion that the entrepreneur is uncoachable…it usually signals the beginning of the end. It doesn’t matter how smart or creative the person is. Without the ‘coachable’ trait the entrepreneur is unlikely to get funded.The investor, who is all-too-aware of how difficult the uncoachable entrepreneur can be, opts out. He keeps his financial powder dry, patiently awaiting the next potential deal.
This attribute of personal leadership (being uncoachable) often makes or breaks people very quickly in the entrepreneurial world. Investors simply won’t put up with it. In the ‘corporate world’ it’s another story. Uncoachable people in mainstream corporate environments ‘flame out’ much later–at least comparatively. There’s lots of reasons why…but it doesn’t change the ‘drag’ the person typically has on the organization. Imagine if the corporate ‘uncoachables’ were forced to justify their funding each year by a rough-and-tumble investor. Boy, how things would change!