Page 71 - Fearless Leadership

58 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

toll of failed change efforts builds a higher wall to climb for each subse-
quent effort.
As a fearless leader, you must be willing to help individuals and teams
talk openly about honest mistakes and learn from them. This is where
blind spots play a key role. People do not have the confidence or tools for
having conversations that can transform business results and relationships.
They lack shared skill sets for clearly articulating behavioral issues and do
not know how to correct them.
All too often, leaders attempt to transform the culture of their organi-
zation or group through intellectual methods. Consensus building, feel-
good team activities, developing a list of cultural practices and drivers—
these do not transform people or organizations.
What transforms organizations is the transition from an intellectual
approach to a process that is based on emotional and intellectual align-
ment. You must have a way to connect people so they want to work in a
committed partnership with you and others.
Your accountability is to raise the level of transparency, participation,
and involvement of people. They will not engage unless they see you
engaging both emotionally and intellectually. Speak openly about your
blind spots to others, ask for their input and coaching, and enlist others
in talking about their blind spots. Foster an environment where it is safe
for people to put sensitive issues on the table, without fear of repercus-
sions, so they can be resolved. For teams and organizations to achieve high
performance, blind spots must become an open discussion that occurs nat-
urally in business.
The human element in leadership is what inspires people. This was evi-
denced by the extraordinary behavior of a CEO, whom we will call Logan,
who was going it alone. His courage to confront his blind spots and openly
include others in what happened launched the start of a highly success-
ful cultural transformation in his operation.

How a CEO’s Courage to Confront His Blind Spots
Launched a High Performance Culture
Logan, the CEO of a major business operation in a well-known
company, was ready to resign and move on. He had been with his
current organization for six years, taking on enormous and unprece-