Leadership Lessons_ the Absurdity of Complexity

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Leadership Lessons: The Absurdity of Complexity

I remember as a young Captain in the Army, preparing for the intensely

competitive entrance exam to the prestigious Defence Services Staff College. The

breadth and depth of skill sets reuired to be mastered !as truly enormous, and I

!as making heavy !eather of it. "y Commanding #fficer stopped by one evening

to check ho! I !as faring !ith the preparations. Seeing that I !as looking all

hassled, he took me aside and imparted to me an enduring piece of advice $

%&hen you are at your !its end at finding solutions to complex problems, stop

!hat you are doing and !atch a D'D of the cartoon strip Tom ( )erry for a !hile.

All the military tactics you ever needed to master is right there. Solutions to

problems !ill come flo!ing through to you%

#ver the years, I have often marveled at the depth of that apparently disarming

yet compelling logic. *o!, having hung up my uniform and shifted to the

Corporate +ungle, it is apparent that the underlying principle remains unaltered.

eep It Simple, Stupid. In the high octane !orld of business, you are surrounded

by the number crunchers $ the -big daddies ( mommies/ of 0ig Data-. Don-t get

me !rong. They are crucial, indeed critical to the decision support matrix. &hat

they often do not do ho!ever, is to simplify it for ease of decision for the

management. That is for you, the leader to do. All the business schools !ill teach

you ho! to interpret numbers and analyse data. &hat very fe! !ill teach you is

the art of stripping the end product of the analysis to its bare essentials.

1ssentials that can help the management make an informed yet simple decision. A 2es or a *o3

4ife is complex. 0usiness decisions can be life altering and apparently even more

complex to reach. 0ut trust me, stepping back every no! and then to vie! the

stripped do!n version of the complex sum of its parts ama5ingly alters your vie!.

Solutions shall flo!. As a leader, your aim should resolutely remain to strip the

problem of its complexities. Shun the absurdity of complexities. Aim to be the

CS# $ the Chief Simplicity #fficer. That is !hat is going to lead you on to the

corner office of the C1#.

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Charles M CawleyCharles M Cawley

HereHere

is a simple problem. Mandela in his prison never hired and fired followers.is a simple problem. Mandela in his prison never hired and fired followers.

Great Leaders do not hire and fire, they do not pick and choose followers; theGreat Leaders do not hire and fire, they do not pick and choose followers; the

reverse applies, followers choose them. Great Leaders are created by thereverse applies, followers choose them. Great Leaders are created by the

decision of followers to follow them. o, s!rely, any "Leader" in b!sinessdecision of followers to follow them. o, s!rely, any "Leader" in b!siness

hirin# and firin# is a fra!d$ %erhaps, they are really bad mana#ershirin# and firin# is a fra!d$ %erhaps, they are really bad mana#erspretendin# to be more than they really are. &mployees and employers arepretendin# to be more than they really are. &mployees and employers are

bo!ndbo!nd

by commercially enforceable employment contracts b!t Great or Worldby commercially enforceable employment contracts b!t Great or World

LeadersLeaders

never have these with their followers. 'he tho!#ht of Mandela !sin#never have these with their followers. 'he tho!#ht of Mandela !sin#

disciplinary a!thority or hirin# and firin# followers is beyond the abs!rd.disciplinary a!thority or hirin# and firin# followers is beyond the abs!rd.

'here is no place for Great Leaders in the commercial world beyond a'here is no place for Great Leaders in the commercial world beyond a

shadowshadow

incorporated into #ood mana#ement. Co!ld yo! answer this simple strippedincorporated into #ood mana#ement. Co!ld yo! answer this simple stripped

downdown

problem$problem$

LikeLike()*()* +eply+eply(*(* -!ly , /01-!ly , /01

2edrin &d#erson2edrin &d#erson,, !bin 3alakrishnan!bin 3alakrishnan,, 3ho#esh G!la#onda3ho#esh G!la#onda, 4/, 4/

Charles M CawleyCharles M Cawley

L!kas L!etke 'hank yo! for yo!r meas!red and kindL!kas L!etke 'hank yo! for yo!r meas!red and kind

remark. 'here"s no do!bt #ood people are drawn to wellremark. 'here"s no do!bt #ood people are drawn to well

mana#ed companies.mana#ed companies.

5!ite often bad people are rep!lsed knowin# they will not be5!ite often bad people are rep!lsed knowin# they will not be

able to e6ploitable to e6ploit

as effectively as elsewhere.. 7 do believe that the day aas effectively as elsewhere.. 7 do believe that the day a

company iscompany is

mana#ed as close to perfection as it is possible then, and onlymana#ed as close to perfection as it is possible then, and only

then, willthen, will

tr!e leadership be possible in that environment. %erhaps, thetr!e leadership be possible in that environment. %erhaps, the

!ltimate!ltimatetar#et for all #ood mana#ers sho!ld be to be to become Leaderstar#et for all #ood mana#ers sho!ld be to be to become Leaders

however b!thowever b!t

e6pectin# people to be Leaders before they have perfectede6pectin# people to be Leaders before they have perfected

#ood mana#ement#ood mana#ement

is, perhaps, inappropriate or even fra!d!lent.is, perhaps, inappropriate or even fra!d!lent.

LikeLike(/*(/* -!ly , /01-!ly , /01

Charles M CawleyCharles M Cawley andand 3ho#esh G!la#onda3ho#esh G!la#onda

L!kas L!etkeL!kas L!etke

8ery8ery

nice approach to the article. 'hink abo!t people9companies likenice approach to the article. 'hink abo!t people9companies like&lon M!sk,&lon M!sk,

Goo#le, Mindvalley. 'hose are companies who have problemsGoo#le, Mindvalley. 'hose are companies who have problems

beca!se there arebeca!se there are

too many people o!t there who want to work for them. 'his isn"ttoo many people o!t there who want to work for them. 'his isn"t

:dd yo!r comment

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Great Tricks for Reading People’s Body Language

0ody language provides an ama5ing amount of information on !hat other people

are thinking if you kno! !hat to look for. And !ho hasn6t !anted to read people6s

minds at some point3

2ou already pick up on more body language cues than you6re consciously a!are

of. 7C4A research has sho!n that only 89 of communication is based on the

actual !ords !e say. As for the rest, :;9 comes from tone of voice and the

remaining


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that can give you an edge is po!erful and !ill streamline your path to success.

TalentSmart has tested more than a million people and found that the upper

echelons of top performance are filled !ith people !ho are high in emotional

intelligence =>9 of top performers, to be exact/. These people kno! the po!er

that unspoken signals have in communication, and they monitor body language

accordingly.

*ext time you6re in a meeting or even on a date or playing !ith your kids/, !atch

for these cues?

Crossed arms and legs signal resistance to your ideas. Crossed arms and

legs are physical barriers that suggest the other person is not open to !hat you6re

saying. 1ven if they6re smiling and engaged in a pleasant conversation, their body

language tells the story. @erard I. *ierenberg and enry . Calero videotaped

more than B,>>> negotiations for a book they !rote on reading body language,

and not a single one ended in an agreement !hen one of the parties had their legs

crossed !hile negotiating. sychologically, crossed legs or arms signal that a

person is mentally, emotionally, and physically blocked off from !hat6s in front of

them. It6s not intentional, !hich is !hy it6s so revealing.

Real smiles crinkle the eyes. &hen it comes to smiling, the mouth can lie but

the eyes can6t. @enuine smiles reach the eyes, crinkling the skin to create cro!6s

feet around them. eople often smile to hide !hat they6re really thinking andfeeling, so the next time you !ant to kno! if someone6s smile is genuine, look for

crinkles at the corners of their eyes. If they aren6t there, that smile is hiding

something.

Copying your body language is a good thing. ave you ever been in a

meeting !ith someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs,

they do the same3 #r perhaps they lean their head the same !ay as yours !hen

you6re talking3 That6s actually a good sign. "irroring body language is something

!e do unconsciously !hen !e feel a bond !ith the other person. It6s a sign that

the conversation is going !ell and that the other party is receptive to your

message. This kno!ledge can be especially useful !hen you6re negotiating,

because it sho!s you !hat the other person is really thinking about the deal.

Posture tells the story. ave you ever seen a person !alk into a room, and

immediately, you have kno!n that they !ere the one in charge3 That effect is

largely about body language, and often includes an erect posture, gestures made

!ith the palms facing do!n, and open and expansive gestures in general. The

brain is hard!ired to euate po!er !ith the amount of space people take up.

Standing up straight !ith your shoulders back is a po!er position it appears to

maximi5e the amount of space you fill. Slouching, on the other hand, is the result

of collapsing your form it appears to take up less space and pro+ects less po!er.

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you6re a leader or not.

Eyes that lie. "ost of us probably gre! up hearing, E4ook me in the eye !hen

you talk to meFG #ur parents !ere operating under the assumption that it6s tough

to hold someone6s ga5e !hen you6re lying to them, and they !ere right to an

extent. 0ut that6s such common kno!ledge that people !ill often deliberately

hold eye contact in an attempt to cover up the fact that they6re lying. The problem

is that most of them overcompensate and hold eye contact to the point that it feels

uncomfortable. #n average, Americans hold eye contact for seven to ten seconds,

longer !hen !e6re listening than !hen !e6re talking. If you6re talking !ith

someone !hose stare is making you suirmHespecially if they6re very still and

unblinkingHsomething is up and they might be lying you.

Raised eyebrows signal discomfort. There are three main emotions that

make your eyebro!s go up? surprise, !orry, and fear. Try raising your eyebro!s

!hen you6re having a relaxed casual conversation !ith a friend. It6s hard to do,

isn6t it3 If somebody !ho is talking to you raises their eyebro!s and the topic isn6t

one that !ould logically cause surprise, !orry, or fear, there is something else

going on.

Exaggerated nodding signals anxiety about approval. &hen you6re telling

someone something and they nod excessively, this means that they are !orried

about !hat you think of them or that you doubt their ability to follo! your

instructions.

A clenched jaw signals stress. A clenched +a!, a tightened neck, or a

furro!ed bro! are all signs of stress. egardless of !hat the person is saying,

these are signs of considerable discomfort. The conversation might be delving

into something they6re anxious about, or their mind might be else!here and

they6re focusing on the thing that6s stressing them out. The key is to !atch for that

mismatch bet!een !hat the person says and !hat their tense body language is

telling you.

The bottom line is that even if you can6t read a person6s exact thoughts, you can

learn a lot from their body language, and that6s especially true !hen !ords and

body language don6t match.

What other body language clues do you look for? Please share your thoughts in

the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from

me.

r. !ravis "radberry is the a!ard$!inning co$author of the JK bestselling

book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart, the !orld-s

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Written by

leading provider of and training

75% of Fortune 500 companies. His bestselling books have been translated into

25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. radberr! has

"ritten for# or been covered b!# Newsweek, TIME, BusinessWeek, Fortune,

Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Toay, T!e Wa"" Street #ourna", T!e

Was!in$ton %ost # and T!e &ar'ar Business (e'iew.

$f !oud like to learn ho" to increase !our emotional intelligence &'()# consider

taking the online Emotiona" Inte""i$ence Appraisa") test thats included "ith the

Emotiona" Inte""i$ence *.+ book. *our test results "ill pinpoint "hich of the

books ++ emotional intelligence strategies "ill increase !our '( the most.

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The American City Was Built for Cars. What Will

Happen When They All Leave?

,ost of "hat "e bu! - bubble gum# blouses# books# baseball - is destined to last

da!s# "eeks# ma!be !ears. ut "e think of houses as investments rather thanconsumable goods because houses last decades or centuries. ver that time# "hat

makes a house valuable doesn/t change much "ell al"a!s like plent! of suare

footage# vie"s# and mostl! prefer living in cities "ith nearb! restaurants# train

stations and obs.

3nd "e love parking. 4here "e live# "ork and even eat is shaped b! "here "e can

park our cars. 3 car has been the pet that 3mericans insist on accommodating# in

numbers ten times higher than modern parts of 3sia like Hong ong.

ut no" a change is at hand. 6esla ' 'lon ,usk predicts that cars "ill drive

themselves in t"o !ears. hris 8rmson at 9oogle estimates it "ill take five !ears.

3lread! :!ft and 8ber have shifted millennials/ home;bu!ing preferences "ho

needs a garage# or for that matter a kitchen or a living room# "hen transportation#

food and even a social life are all available online and on;demand< 6his is "h!#

even as urban home prices boom# "e see couples "ith one car or no cars

preferring smaller homes "ith fe"er amenities but a high 4alk =core and nearb!

transit.

$n our lifetimes# and the lifetimes of our mortgages# the self;driving car could

change the shape of the 3merican cit! even more profoundl!. 8nlike the cars of

toda!# "hich are parked >+% of the time# self;driving cars "ill be in semi;

continuous service e?cept in the "ee hours@ "e/ll need far fe"er cars overall# and

those that remain "ill leave to"n at night.

3 third of urban real estate is devoted to parking garages that could become

parks@ there are eight 8.=. parking spaces for ever! car in operation# for as man!

as t"o billion 8.=. spaces overall. 6hirteen percent of ever! lot for a t!pical single;

famil! home is no" dedicated to a garage that could be converted into an office ora mother;in;la" apartment@ "ith the income provided b! 3irn and other

propert!;rental sites# single;famil! homes could thus become 1A% more

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fi?ed;fee garage;conversion services# in much the same "a! that old houses "ere

once converted en masse to use modern furnaces and plumbing.

=elf;driving cars "ill also change homebu!ers/ location preferences. Data from

:!ft and 8ber alread! sho" that "hen private transit becomes significantl!

cheaper# public;transit use also increases man! carless households replace the

car "ith a mi? of private and public transit. 3s cars become a service rather than

an asset# pro?imit! to bus lines ma! become less important# but sub"a!s and

trains that can b!pass car traffic altogether "ill onl! gro" in popularit!.

Ho" should this affect !our home;bu!ing decisions toda!< Berhaps not much@ the

average lifespan of a car is 15 !ears# so it ma! be 20A5 or later before nearl! all

cars are self;driving. 3nd "e/ll still need at least some parking# not to mention a

place for our skis and la"n;mo"er.

ut our guess is that the future# "hich usuall! doesn/t come to pass at an even

pace# "ill happen faster than that@ there "ill be a tipping point# driven in this case

b! the over"helming convenience and safet! of self;driving cars# and b! the

likelihood that onl! a small proportion of cars need to be self;driving before real

estate prices begin to anticipate a "orld "here most cars are that "a!.

Cegardless of "hen !ou "ant to prepare for the future# here/s our take on "hat to

do about it

Don’t pay a premium for a garage. 6oda! the same home "ith or

"ithout a garage costs an e?tra 50#000 per parking space. 3 decade from

no" self;driving cars "ill make urban homes "ith less parking more

attractive.

Do pay a premium for proximity to a subway station or rail

station. 6oda! pro?imit! to transit adds A0% to a home/s value. 3s the

number of partiall! or completel! carless households increases# "e believe

that premium "ill be closer to 50% in a decade.

3nd last but not least# consider the possibilit! that a home next to an

unsightly parking garage may one day be situated next to a new

park or a ne" block of coffee shops and restaurants.

3 hundred !ears ago# the car "as the reason that cities became something entirel!

different than villages# "ith spra"l# painful commutes and gated communities.

Eo" the self;driving car ma! bring the old idea of a village back to the future.

$"ennke"man is t!e CE- o (ein, a tec!no"o$y/powere rea" estate broker.

%!oto creit0 T!omas &awk on F"ickr.




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ritten #y

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Leadership Lessons_ the Absurdity of Complexity

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