The Latest Insights from Leading NOW

I recently read a book in which the author claims that changing a culture is like turning an aircraft carrier. I frankly think his simile totally misses the mark. For starters, an aircraft carrier is quite nimble for its size and turning it is actually quite simple. The Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) gives orders to the helmsman (who controls the rudder) about the direction of the turn and to the lee helmsman (who controls the engines) about the speed of the turn.

In the quiet of a Sunday afternoon, I savor the book descriptions in my Bas Bleu catalog. One title in particular jumps off the page. Sprezzatura: Fifty Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World.

Leadership isn’t something you wait to do when you become a CEO. Lead now or forever hold your place!

Darn, there it is again -- the pervasive advice that 50% of what you need to succeed in business is people skills. This time in a column written by famed executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith. He wrote: "...your people skills often make the difference in how high you go. Who would you rather have as a CFO? A moderately good accountant who is great with people ...or a brilliant accountant who's inept with [people]... The candidate with superb people skills will win out every time, in large part because he (e.a.) will be able to...lead." Oddly enough, these stories refer over and over again to "he." Hmm, could there be something about this formula that works for men, but not for women? Most assuredly!

Women leaders consistently rate higher than men as managers of people but are consistently rated lower in the area of strategic acumen. Although strategic acumen must be exercised on a daily basis, one organizational ritual presents the perfect opportunity for honing and demonstrating these skills -- the annual planning process. In order to exercise and showcase your strategic acumen, you will want to plan like a CEO no matter at the level you lead.

In advertising, it's the transition from managing the client to managing the business. In construction, it's the transition from managing the project to managing the business. In professional services firms it's the transition from delivering client services to advancing the business by revenue generation. In your company, it is likely the transition from managing managers to running a business.

When I talk about The Missing 33%®, the first research I cite is from a BusinessWeek cover story published in 2000. In short, the findings were that women "outshine their male counterparts on almost every measure."

While I was away, many of you sent me links to the Harvard Business Review blog asking: Are Women Better Leaders than Men? The authors' assertions are that in an analysis of their 360 feedback reports of over 7000 managers, women were rated as outperforming men in nearly all of them - actually 12 out of 16. BUT hold on a minute! There are 2 major failings in their research. Let's use my definition of leadership to analyze the competencies they measure: