All posts by AssistLeadership

To serve you, I would need to know more about you, and your experience in leadership, and what dynamics exist between you and your boss and you and those you lead. I am glad to hear that your boss shared with you that the comment was not based on your integrity or the quality of your work products. So, rest easy on those counts. I would suggest that you continue to ask your boss about the comment to help both of you understand better what the challenge is or may be. Try to do this in a way that is genuinely curious and not defensive. This is a great leadership test! Learning from feedback in a positive and constructive way helps build trusting relationships.

Let me assume that thecomment on your performance review is about leadership presence. In other words, could it be about your physical self, how you hold yourself and how you connect with others in your leadership role? The core question is: What do you look like to those you lead? And does your physical self match your words? Is there congruence between the words you say and how you appear while you say the words? The messages weconveycome morefrom our physical selves than the actual words. Does your physical self express conviction and belief in what you are saying? Congruence is the key word here. When people say that someone “walks the talk”, they mean that the person’s words match their deeds. That occurs when someone’s body language matches their message. Congruence.

One of the best resources I have seen about leadership presence is from Dr. Amy Cuddy of Harvard University. Dr. Cuddy describes her research and provides several thoughts for anyone interested in “showing up” with confidence and positive energy. Check out her TED talk on YouTube entitled “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are”. Here is the link: www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shape s_who_you_are?language=en

Pay attention to our eye contact, to how you appear in meetings,and in one-on-one situations. Do you project calmness? Do you truly listen to others? Do you speak positively and encourage others to speak? Do you sit up straight in meetings or do you slouch? Do you smile readily or reluctantly? Do you speak and articulateso that people can hear and understand you? Ask someone else in your office to give you feedback on these and other aspects of presence. Consider joining Toastmasters International, an excellent organization devoted to the learning and practice of public speaking. It’s not about speaking loud or fast. It’s actually about speaking in a paced manner.

Consider engaging the services of a leadership coach to work with you on presence. A coach can help you identify the key areas that would enhance your performance in this area. It is not about achieving perfection, but about making the incremental improvements necessary to have those you lead see you as a leader. Why is this important? It is important because the decisions you make, the requests you make of staff, and the positions you take with stakeholders all depend on the congruency between your words and body. Are they saying the same thing? Or, are people confused about your messages?

What I like about your boss’s comment (vague as it is) is the commitment he or sheis making to your professional development by sharing feedback that can be quite uncomfortable to give. I think that act speaks volumes about how you should develop yourself as a leader, and to work collaboratively with your boss so that he or she continues to see herself or himself as a stakeholder in your success. Ask your boss to let you know when he or she feels you have crossed the “presence” threshold: Leadership presence may be difficult to describe, but we all know it when we see it. Define leadership presence for yourself. Start today.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Madame Curie

I wanted to begin my response to your question with the above quote from Marie Curie, the early twentieth century Polish physicist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. My reason is to help you help yourself and your team by being a student of organizational change. The moreyou understand, the moreableyou areto realistically assess possible outcomes and be emotionally present for your team. Being a learner will help you be curious about what is happening at your institution in a broader sense, and may help you convey a greater sense of calm and preditcability about the processes of change and what to expect.

Also, you are probably aware of the broader changes going on within higher education and the pressures on most all colleges and universities to reduce operating costs and refocus missions on students and the educational experience, including how curriculum is developed and delivered.

Your institution is one of many colleges undergoing such change.

Here are a couple of resources for you to get started:

1. “Ten Reasons People Resist Change,” by Professor Rosabeth Kanter of Harvard Business School. I believe you can search for this brief article on the internet. Among Dr. Kanter’s ten reasons is past resentments. “The ghosts of the past are always lying in wait to haunt us. As long as everything is steady state, they remain out of sight. But the minute you  need cooperation for something new or different, the ghosts spring into action. Old wounds reopen, historic resentments are remembered — sometimes going back many generations. Leaders should consider gestures to heal the past before sailing into the future.” Ten Reasons People Resist Change by Rosabeth Kanter, Harvard Business Review, September 25, 2012.
2. Leading Change, by John Kotter, Harvard Business Review Press; First edition (November 6, 2012). One of Kotter’s expressions that sticks with me is his sense of some organizations being “over-managed” and “under-led”. In the context ofchange, this means that people are thirsty for leadership: transparency and integrity and communication and engagement. Also, Kotter suggests that those implementing change foster a sense of urgency within the organization. “A higher rate of urgency does not imply ever-present panic, anxiety, or fear. It means a state in which complacency is virtually absent.” This thought may indeed scare you or your team, but the objective here is for you to help design and defineyour own future and your team’s. Bean active participant in the change process. It is better for you and your team’s well-being.

Being there for your team does not mean becoming a pollyanna. It means listening to your team members (and your own mind) and the messages and emotions coming forth. It means asking your team members what are they most concerned about with change, and what bases do they have for believing a particular outcome will happen. Propose alternative outcomes. What are some of the better possibilities at play? Ask them if they believe there is anything that you personally can do to help them cope with their fears. Ask them what they believethey, personally,can do to help themselves be prepared for a changing organization, such as more training and learn-
ing about other organizational roles and functions. Counter negative impressions or expectations by stating other more positive possibilities. This is called reframing. It is normal and natural to fear the worst, and an alert mind can help bring positive possibilities to the forefront.

You may find yourself able to influence organizational change by being a steady and reliable presence and advocate for your team and its functions. This means being a good listener and observer of the forces of change driving your institution.

Other advice? Ask yourself this question a few times a week: “How can I help my organization discuss change and implement change in the most effective ways that advance the college or university’s mission?” Take the broad view as a citizen of the campus. Do not be solely focused parochially on your office and function. Usethe opportunities of change to educate your campus about what roles your office plays and who the key stakeholders are (e.g. faculty, sponsors, regulators, students) that your team supports.

Put these words on sticky notesand put it next to your computer screen while your institution is going through this change process: “Be A Learner and A Teacher”.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

I am surethat somereaders will identify with your situation and question. My assumption is that you enjoyed the day-to-day business of research administration, helping faculty, and solving transactional problems in pre-award or post-award administration. Now you arefindingless time  to do the work in which you excel, and that you are comfortable doing. Perhaps you are mourning a loss of role as you are coming to terms with the new responsibilities you have accepted. Perhaps the sense of mastery that you experienced in your past role has not happened sufficiently yet in this new leadership role for you to overcome the loss of what you knew well and what you did previously. (I will bet that you still have ways of enjoying some of what you liked in your previous roleif you can becreative about it and see yourself as a mentor and guide for others.)

I do not know how long you have been in your new role: one month? two years? longer, shorter? The length of time will have an impact on how you may be feeling, and if you arestill in your first 90 days or so, then some  might suggest that you give the new role more time. In my experience coaching new leaders, this advice is not very useful. The reason? It takes more than time to become accustomed to something new (e.g. new job, new city, new family member, etc.) It takes an intentional attitude of patience with oneself and others, and a willingness to be vulnerable by asking questions and learning about your new role. It takes curiosity. To some, this sounds frightening…others say, bring it on! It takes openness and a willingness to learn from others and experience some of the discomfort that comes from making mistakes, but seeing mistakesas opportunities to learn and demonstrate your humanity to others. There is an expression, “Say yes to the mess,” and that is the advice I give you. Enjoy the mucking around that occurs when one takes on a new job. Notice the discomfort that you will experience from time and time and ask yourself where it is coming from and why it occurs. Challenge yourself to be self-aware in leadership.

You say that you don’t like managing people, yet you were promoted to aroleto do exactly that. Someone must havethought otherwise about your leadership potential. Do you? I am wondering if you experienced a set-back of some kind in managing your new team which prompted you to write. Did you try to influence someone and your approach did not work? Did you havea disagreement with ateam member? Did you makea difficult decision that meant saying “no” to someone? Are you finding it challenging to be promoted to leader when you were “one of the team” before and, perhaps, miss some of the informality that your previous role offered? Being the boss is tough, and at times it is lonely. Have you developed a network at your institution and beyond so that you can meet and learn with others who are new to supervision as well as with experienced leaders? Do you have a mentor? What have you learned thus far about your leadership style and how you work with people?

I encourage you to take some notes on how you are feeling emotionally throughout the day, and about the learning that you experience in the new role. You may find this both therapeutic and fun to look back on one day. It willalso help you seethataleadership role,especially thefirst supervisory role, can be difficult. But, the rewards of seeing a team gel, of seeing a team produce outstanding work in a way that advances both the institution, the team, and its members can be one of the most enjoyable professional experiences. Give yourself a chance to experience all of that good stuff. Give yourself permission to learn and  e a “beginner” as a supervisor. That is your new work: embrace it.

‘‘It takes an intentional attitude of patience with oneself and others, and a willingness to be vulnerable by asking questions and learning about your new role.”

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

I used to keep the following quotation from comedian Steven Wright on my desk: “Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.” My mirroring neurons1 are kicking in and I am finding myself empathizing with you about the phenomenon of endless meetings and non-decision making that sometimes occurs in our institutions and functions.

Many questions come to mind about the origins of the meetings: what is the nature of the topic, who is leading the meetings, what is their role and function, and who are the “stakeholders” for this issue. Is there a written charge for the meeting attendees (are they a committee, task force?)and what is the imperative or urgency to make a recommendation or decision? If I asked everyone individually who attends the meeting to describe what they see as the group’s purpose or mission, what would they say and would it be answered consistently? Sometimes institutions “park” tough issues in committees without any real expectations that a solution will emerge. The formation and meeting of a few people, then, is the action-response and a box is checked. I don’t know if this matter is in that species. Other interpretations are possible: maybe the meeting is intended to monitor an ambiguous policy or operational issues at your campus. The group’s purpose may be one of maintaining general aware-
ness…and that’s it. Overall, I am wondering what would happen if the meeting was cancelled for next week and hence forward: would anyone at yourcollege know orcare? Iamassuming that you havethesame question. What would your answers be to the questions I have raised? Are my ques-
tionsrelevant? What other questions would you raise? Would there bevalue for you or others to raise questions when you next meet?

From a leadership coaching perspective, you are my “client” for the remainder of this article, so let’s focus a bit on you and where you find yourself in this situation. What have you learned about your institution, about leadership, about yourself? How might this situation relate to your own future development as a leader? I wonder if you would be willing to experiment a bit and use this experience as a learning exercise. What would you say if I suggest to you that you consider recording your thoughts and feelings and lessons learned about this situation in ajournal?  Maybe you will enjoy doing this and be willing to keep a journal as you develop in leadership? Let’s take as light detour and talk about the merits of journaling.

“Want to be an Outstanding Leader? Keep a Journal” is an article written by Nancy Adler in Harvard Business Review-Management Tip, January 13, 2016. The purpose of keeping a journal is to gather insights, self-reflections, to record your own reactions and perceptions, nd to learn about what “triggers” you. Adler suggests the following questions to begin a journaling experience:

•  How am I feeling right now?
• How am I feeling about my leadership?
•  What deserves my highest-quality attention:
  • in my leadership? • in my life? • in the world?
• What is the most outrageous (or fun or novel) idea I’ve heard in the last 24 hours? What do I love about it?
• What is the most exciting initiative I’ve heard about this week that is happening outside of my industry or in another part of the world?
• What contributed most to my happiness this week (or to the happiness of my people)? How can I have more happiness in my life?

  I suggest journalingasa way to capture the learning from this situation and others you will encounter on your leadership path. You could use a journal to record your own impressions and observations and attempt to answer some of the questions raised earlier.

  What is intriguing to me is to think of you in a future senior role at your institution or elsewhere, when you have the opportunity to “call the shots,” to make decisions or take actions like those you are experiencing in this situation. Having a journal will be a tool for you then, to recall your past experiences, and help you to ground your leadership values and aspirations.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

Find out how you’re doing. I mean, truly, find out how you’re doing. I think most successful leaders are very good at learning and understanding their own strengths and weaknesses. The less successful leaders either don’t know, don’task, or don’t learn from information about themselves when they receive it. Their lack of self-awareness holds them and their teams back. For example, a leader may have been told twice that he or she is ‘good with people,’ and that has translated to a never ending effort to please everyone. Other leaders may believe that they are analytical, in control,and havea mind for operational details, and this translates to a theme park micromanagement ride. The less successful leaders either never start to learn about themselves, or they prematurely stop out of fear.

The good leaders know how they show up in leadership. How do you find out how you are doing? You may be the rare individual who has a boss who dutifully and candidly does performance reviews. Hopefully, those reviews speak in specific terms about interpersonal skillsand leadership ability, and do not just cover how you implemented a new policy, or procedure, or business system, or simply pat you on the back with a “you’re doinga nicejob”commentand a promiseto talk again next year. Few senior leaders focus on their employees’ developmental growth, and, even if you work with that special boss who does, what you learn in a per-
formance review is her or his opinion and judgment only.

Consider getting a 360 degree assessment working with a coach to find out how you are doing. These ssessments are separate and distinct from performance evaluations annual compensation reviews — they belong to the person being assessed (not the boss or theinstitution, though many institutions support the costs as part of professional development or HR budgets). They typically lead to professional development plans that can help an emerging, or veteran, leader reflectand refocus. Professional development planning does influence achievement ofgoalsand tasks — the stuff of performance reviews.

For instance, the 360 tool that I work with is data-driven, feedback is anonymous, and it helps leaders identify patterns, and choose 2-3 behaviors or practices to either start doing or stop doing. The reasons for change become clear to a leader, as she or he can see how certain prac-
tices or behaviors impact their success both in achieving goals and in developing relationships that fuel organizational success. I find those discussions around 360 tools to be the most enjoyable and impactful in my coaching work. Most coaches do!

The best 360 assessments ask for 8-10 (or more) raters who provide both numerical ratings and written comments. These individuals should experience you in leadership, from various organizational levels. Behaviors and practices relate to how you show up in leadership, your authenticity and integrity, strategic focus, sense and respect for the organizational
system, and how you relate and care for others on your leadership team (staff, peers, boss,etc.). These assessments are more comprehensive than a personality or stylesurvey becausethe 360’s speak to specific leadership behaviors and actions.

The results of a 360 assessment can provide useful insights. You can learn how you assess yourself versus how others assess you, how you appear to peers and staff versus to your boss. I have learned from each 360 assessment of me, and have found that others I have asked to assess me have respected my interest in my own professional development.

(You mention that you are seeking promotional opportunities:
Having served on several higher education executive search committees, I’ve seen many questions to candidates that look for candidate leadership self-awareness. The 360 experience is a positive example to cite.) Yes, it’sscaryto facecertain information,so, I don’t want to overstate what a 360 assessment is: it is not thesole universal TRUTH about you and all that you are and do. It’s simply an organized collection of impressions and observations about how others experience you in leadership.

Working with a coach, we look for trends and patterns in 360 data and comments. We ask what rings true. What are we surprised about, if anything? What is gratifying to see? We ask what have we, perhaps, been hiding from ourselves? Weask what is possibleto change and does it make sense to try to do so, for what purpose, and how do we go about it? It’s a way, also, to validate the excellent leadership skills one already demonstrates. The positive news can be very energizing and affirming! The challenging news can spur one to action and self-improvement with the support of coaching.

The best leaders know about themselvesand takethetimeto learn what others think of them in leadership. The 360 isa tool to launch a learning conversation. It is to help leaders guide and inspire others, to serve their institutions, and to get better at leadership. It starts with self-awareness and how weconnect with others. In my opinion, that defines a leadership journey.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

Thanks for your question and for describing what sounds like a challenging period in your life. You started your question with regrets about a work product that you finished (i.e. contract) but then moved to broader questions of multiple matters. I do not know from the description whether this state-of-being describes you some of the time, rarely, or frequently. In other words, how often do you use words or phrases like “guilty”, “bothering”, “pressuring”, “tired”, “letting people down”? What I am wondering is if this sense of worry and, perhaps, feeling overwhelmed is a pervasive part of your life?

You might ask yourself how often you are experiencing life in this way. Some may read your question and think that you would benefit from better time management or prioritization. Others may be stuck on the facts about the contract you signed and whether this caused harm to the university in some way. Or, are you revealing something else by saying that the contract terms “were okay, but not the best.” I would imagine that few of us have ever signed a perfect contract, because a contract is a product of negotiations between flawed human beings and institutions. Perfection is a tough expectation for negotiations, or for vacation planning for that matter!

I think there are plenty of books and articles about time management, so I will leave that to you to pursue. And, there are seminars about contract negotiations and strategies. What I will discuss with you is the relevance of energy as a factor in managing your work and life. Maybe this will help you think of your challenges in different and new terms. There is growing literature in the coaching world about energy, and how we acquire it, useit, and how we replenish it. It’s a great coaching topic.

As human beings we get energy from food, from sleep, exercise, and from a sense of flow in our work and personal lives. We get it from our passions, from sports, arts, music, from walking in nature, from listening to birds or the sounds of waves. Some people meditate to gain control over their thought processes which, in turn, helps energize and focus them. The point is that the successful acquisition and expenditure of human energy is intentional and it can help us manage ourselves in times of stress. It also gives us means of replenishing ourselves. Katherine Ebner, director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership at Georgetown University, wrote a series of questions for coaches to ask clients relating to energy in the book On Becoming a Leadership Coach. Among my favorites are: “What gives you energy?” “What drains your energy away?”,“What do you look forward to doing? “What gives you dread?” “What is your typical energy level in the morning? Midday? Evening?” “What do you do to refuel your energy?” And many more energy-inventory types of questions. What would your answers be to her questions?

But, how does this relate to your question? I am suggesting that thinking of life’s challenges and time pressures in terms of the energy and capacity we have, and can create for ourselves, will help us “budget” ourselves (minds, bodies, spirit) to deal with the most pressing issues at hand. And to deal with them well. Energy is not a panacea, but a way to help usunderstand ourselves better and to help us be aware of own personal gas tanks. So, when we see we are running low, we can take care of ourselves and restore ourselves so we can better cope with the challenges we face.

You mention guilt and letting people down. So, that might be another approach to take were we in a coaching relationship. I might ask you how you feel you are letting someone down, and how is that serving you or the situation. What would you need to do to let go of guilt? That is a very challenging topic for most of us, so I do not imply that the matter of guilt is addressed with a few questions, in the manner of a 30 minute television sitcom! It is just that guilt may be draining energy from you in ways that are keeping you from being more productive, happy, and forward focused.

Finally, the situation you presented juxtaposed signing a contract, with keeping a PI happy, and with taking a vacation with your husband. It sounded to me like you were thinking of all of these parts of the situation as separate, as either/or. I would simply challenge you to think that no one needs to be let down, starting with you. And, you could have the energy and capacity to do all of the responsibilities you take on, and to do them well. Be intentional about it.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

I appreciate your question because it reminds us that leadership transitions are more than someone leaving a job, recruiting a replacement, and then everything and everyone continues just as before. We know that leadership transitions are rarely simple and easy. Yet, they are numerous! Think of the continual flow of new leaders at all operational levels of universities, colleges, and research institutions across the world.

Now, back to you and your question. A key principle in coaching is to have agreement between coach and client about the coaching topic. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer to the very first question I would ask you, which is “You don’t know what to do about….what?” Getting that question answered, and probing a bit, will help you define what concerns this situation is bringing up for you.

I can only make assumptions about the story you are telling. So, better to ask you questions: “What are your xpectations about this transition?” “What in your opinion would be successful for the institution and for your successor?” “Are there any differences in those definitions of success?” “What understandings do you have with your
successor regarding any ongoing involvement or mentoring?” “What emotions describe how you are feeling about this transition?” Perhaps you feel a sense of loss from leaving your old job and colleagues, but that may be a wide assumption on my part. Other questions: “What is your stake in this transition?” When will you know that transition is ‘done’ for you? ““Have you celebrated this transition in any way?”

I am also curious about your experience with past leadership transitions, or if this is your first experience. What have those previous transitions been like for you?

I also sense that you may feel a need to communicate or intervene in some way, and I would ask you if that is true. And, if so, what drives your need? What would you hope to accomplish by communicating or intervening? Who or what purpose does that serve? How significant to the institution are the people issues and business changes that you
disapprove? (Notice that I did not ask about their significance to you.) Are major institutional risks at play here?

Your communications with people approaching you and how you communicate with them about this transition is also key. Your question is likely prompted because you know, intuitively, that your words and actions could matter a great deal, especially for the office and the new leader’s ability to succeed. I am curious how you are aware of your power, how you hold it, and what your thoughts are about using it.

I assume that we do not have to debate the merits of change, because it happens anyway. We learn to adapt and then adapt again when the next change happens. Some change is random, and other change comes from intentional planning and execution. A good leader influences an organization so it changes productively and in ways that advance the institution’s mission and the lives of the people it serves. And, as the song goes, that is a beautiful thing. I will assume that you can point to times during your leadership of the sponsored programs office that you were truly transformational and helped move the university’s sponsored programs activities forward. It is now someone else’s turn.

There are likely multiple stories and motivations as part of your question. I imagine that some readers are saying (or singing) to themselves, “Let it Go.” Others may be thinking that you are a citizen of your institution and are looking out for the office and individuals, perhaps some of the employees were those you have hired and mentored? Maybe some will think that you have residual concerns about leaving your former role? Some may wonder that, perhaps, you are making yourself too available to those offering criticisms of your successor, and thereby condoning such indirect communication that should be made directly to your successor? Others may be concerned that there is a potentially major institutional risk at issue and it is appropriate for you to speak up.

It is likely that a few of these narratives and explanations (and others) are at play and that these coexist with each other. This is true of all people. Transitions do have natural cycles, beginnings and ends, so laying out expectations in advance is a good practice. Frequent communication is needed because of natural human concerns about
change.

And, coaching is about moving a client forward with healthy reflection and intention. That is what I wish for you. In the spirit of the theme of this month’s Magazine: Start small by reflecting about your own intentions in this transition.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

Garry Sanders is an executive coach and graduate of Georgetown University’s Certificate Program in Leadership Coaching. Garry is a long-time research administrator and recipient of NCURA’s Distinguished Service Award. He can be reached at gsanders@assistleadership.com and (518) 588-0992.

Ask the Leadership Coach (PDF)