1. On the Shoulders of Heroes:
A Global Journey Toward a
Sustainable Future
Accenture Business Services Trek from Me, to We, to
Us
Tom Rausch
tom@leadershipbeyondlimits.com
@tcrausch
2. Conscious
leaders are rare.
Ray C. Anderson (July 28, 1934 – August 8, 2011)
Charismatic champion of
sustainable manufacturing.
15 years unwavering
dedication to Mission Zero.
4. Map-Making Heroes
People and organizations share an
evolutionary urge, and move through
predictable developmental stages.
5. Four Perspectives
• The Worldview Lens- Graves, Beck, et al.
• The Values/Needs Lens- Maslow, Barrett, et al.
• The Language Lens- Logan, King, et al.
• The Agility (competency/capacity) Lens- Joiner & Josephs
8. Commonalities
• 3 distinct memes emerge: “Me”, “We”, “Us”
• Developmentally, most leaders and
organizations are anchored in “Me”
• Maturity transcends and includes previous
levels- they are “Full-Spectrum”
• Evolution and emergence predict the
direction but not the path or outcome
9. Stage 1: Foundation
Focus on “Me”
• All 4 models identify foundational levels
characterized by:
– Survival concerns
– Individual self in competition with others
– Fear, Entropy & Dysfunction
– Pinnacle: Being the best, Best practices
– Difficult to transition from the foundational stage to
the next- ≈70 – 75% of individuals and organizations
operate primarily at the foundational stage
10. Stage 2: Foundation
Focus on “We”
• All 4 models identify transformational level(s)
characterized by:
– Internal cohesion as a team, cooperation with our
team/tribe
– Moving out of Fear, Entropy & Dysfunction
– We are the best, shared vision and values
– Individual empowerment & fulfillment
– ~5– 20% of individuals and organizations operate
primarily at this stage
11. Stage 3: Foundation
Focus on “Us”
• All 4 models identify sustainability level(s)
characterized by:
– External cohesion with all stakeholders
– Shared purpose
– Collaboration
– No opponents- no one is our competition
– ~2– 5% of individuals and organizations operate
primarily at this stage
12. Key Findings
• Leaders & organizations develop in predictable
patterns
• The pace of development is not assured
• New levels of maturity emerge
• Maturity is agile, not utopian
• Maturity is not assured- there are two primary
“hurdles” to overcome
13. Can You Develop Conscious,
Full-Spectrum Leaders?
If There Is Readiness…
Yes.
Conscious Leaders
Can Be Developed in
a Predictable,
Step-by-Step Process
14. Readiness
Is the foundation strong?
Are people wanting more
teamwork, empowerment and
leadership development?
Is the entropy relatively low?
Committed internal champion
Committed senior leader
“A” players with ambition to lead
19. Consciousness ≈ Performance
Servant Leader = No Sale
Performance Coaching = Buy In
Neuroscience
Practical & Proven
Science of changing
thinking
…and it creates the heart of the
conscious leader…
Because the focus is on
developing people NOT
solving problems
20. Focus On Developing People
Not Solving Problems
Eye to Eye ~ Person to
Person
21. No Time
Only 4 hours per month
Some reading
Lot’s of OTJ practice
22. No Long Retreats
Travel limitations
OTJ better anyway
1 hr/mo. whole team
1 hr/mo. regional teams
2 hr/mo. 1-1 coaching
Blended approach
23. Competing Agendas
Of Course…
Regional/Structural
Cultural Differences
Personal Ambition
Performance Driven
24. Coaching Builds Cohesion
Reflect together
Shared safe space Personal sharing
Risk new behaviors Get truly curious
All novice coaches Really listen
Ask deeper questions
Shared challenges
Shared vulnerability
Shared best practices
Shared growth
Shared commitment
Shared goals
Shared change management
25. Results So Far
Old Dogs, New Tricks
Team Cohesion All Time
High
2 Major Changes Navigated
Global Performance
Coaching Rollout
26. Coaching
Converts
“The single most impactful leadership skill
I have ever learned.”
“I wish I had learned this 30 years ago.”
“Coaching is our future.”
Quotes from Accenture Business Services Senior Leaders
27. Surprise Result:
Heart of A Conscious Leader
“The greatest compliment
that was ever paid me was
when one asked me what I
thought, and attended to my
answer.”
-Henry David Thoreau
People admire your strengths,
but they respect your honesty
regarding your vulnerability.
-Ken Blanchard, Lead with Luv
28. Are You Ready to Develop Heroes?
Is your cultural foundation
strong?
Are people wanting more
teamwork, empowerment
and leadership development?
Is the entropy relatively low?
Committed internal champion
Committed senior leader
Ambition to excellence
29. Teach the Performance Coaching
Dance
To Develop the Hearts of Leaders
Check
Action Explore
Expand
Check
Action Acknowledge
Expand
30. On the Shoulders of Heroes:
A Global Journey Toward a
Sustainable Future
Accenture Business Services Trek from Me, to We, to
Us
Tom Rausch
tom@leadershipbeyondlimits.com
@tcrausch
Hinweis der Redaktion
The story of one global organizations leadership journey from me-we-us.
Ray was one of a kind.After his “arrow to the heart” he had an unwavering commitment to the planet and future generations.I want all business leaders to have his consciousness.
So who is your business hero? Likely they have a commitment to deeply shared values and all stakeholders.Still, they account for less than 5% of business leaders.How can we develop more of them faster?
Some other heroes have shown us the way.Solidscience, 50 – 60- 70 years old, has shown the map.Yet business is largely ignorant of developmental/evolutionary maps and therefore deprived of their power.
Each had a different number of stages: 8/7/6/5But three 3 memesemerged:Me: foundational focus on self-interest, heroic individual effort & marred by fear and limiting beliefsWe: transformational focus on internal cohesion, shared vision and values, & teamworkUs: sustainable focus on all stakeholders, no opponents
The models and my real-life experience point to the two hurdles all leaders and organizational cultures must cross:75% are facing the first hurdle: from individual accomplishment to team accomplishment20% are facing the second hurdle: from teamwork to service to all stakeholders
All 4 models support these commonalities
So is there a fast, easy way to transform/raise consciousness?Yes, if there is readiness
Readiness- is the business stable?: profits/safety, customers/relationships & systems for scalable performance levels 1-3One measure is relatively low entropy: <10%: Healthy Functioning, 11-19%: Minor Issues,20-29%: Significant Issues,30-39%: Serious Issues,40-49%: Critical IssuesIf so, people are likely to be asking for lots of level 4 & 5 valuesIs there commitment at the top and ambition/engagement to succeed?Are the leaders and the culture ready to step into we/us?Let’s look at one example
Meet two of my business heroes at Accenture.Neither was trying to save the planet for future generationsNeither the organization nor the leaders had an explicit vision of level 6/7 conscious capitalism.They were smart, and appreciated diversity due to global footprint.They already knew that teamwork and innovation were essential, and sensed that this was indeed their next stepAnd they cared about values and developing people.
Foundations handled: Global, Profitable, growingnet revenues of US $25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011High performance. Delivered. is not just a sloganEntropy shows usual minor problems: cost-reduction, bureaucracy, long-hours and internal competitionBased on survey and interviews, company was struggling with the common wide-spread issue: how do we move from a focus on individual performance to teamwork? From me to we? They had one foot in level 3 and one in level 4, and the culture wanted to step fully into internal cohesion. The Human Capital team came up with a 3 pronged approach to make this happen, 1 of which focused on developing leaders into coaches to “pull” the culture forward. (customer partnership & leadership were the others)
Before I get into the specific process we used, a bit more about heroes.Many leaders in many fields have mad it easy for us to know how to develop leaders.Malcolm Knowles taught us about respect of the adult learnerNeuroscience, neurobiology & quantum physics have taught us about neuro-plasticity and how new beliefs and behaviors are formedAI, Pos. Psych, integral, change, SEI have shown us the maps, strategies and skills that help people adapt, change and achieve.
All of the preceding were foundations for Performance coaching.This is a step-by-step, predictable technology for developing conscious leaders and a nearly full-spectrum culture.Teach a new behavior that turns a manager into a leader.A problem solver into a people developerAnd much more
First a word about getting buy-in for the journey:The terms “Conscious Leader or Servant Leader” does not resonate with many well-meaning business leadersRaise hands survey: How many in this room would get budget for conscious leadership development?How about High-Performance coaching?It is important to meet people where they areThe historical reality for this client is focus on performance- level 3 – this language did resonateIt is a “soft skill” supported by hard scienceWe know consciousness and conscious leadership implies a lot more than performance & coaching, but you will see that leaders who embrace coaching make a significant mindset and behavioral shift that are at the core of conscious, servant leadership
The mindset shift:Leader as problem solver and fount of experience toLeader as developer of peopleMight I be your thinking partner on this to help YOU come up with the best solution?Refuse to get wrapped up in the allure of the problemSee the employee holding the answer & your job is to bring them to their own “aha”Create new habits of higher-level thinking- stay focused on vision/strategy/planningStay our of problem, details and dramaWhile the shift is really quite simple, the client did face many hurdles
Traditional objection:OK, what about the severe time pressures and fast pace of the leadership team? How can you create conscious leaders with so many competing priorities and such limited time?Our reply:If you can get them reflecting together, you can accomplish a lot with a blended & chunked approach spread out over time. Short but regular interactions can really build momentum and create shifts1 hour per week,Total time only 4 hours per month, plus reading, plus OTJ application
Traditional View:What about the fact these people are spread all over the globe and seldom get together?No consultant in their would attempt this without a lengthy off-site retreat.Transformation is not possible without deep, intensive work.Reply:Actually On-The-Job is better and ablended approach can work wellMonthly Team coaching Team cohesion coaching featured a lot of personal sharing. They were all novice coaches, so mutual learning challenges created camaraderie.Monthly Small group/region coaching Furthered mutual growth stories,Made vulnerability safe2 x Monthly 1-1 coaching created deep connections with each leader Created personal visions & goals Built trust with consultants Confidentiality allowed deep reflectionPractical field work Shared safe space Risk new behaviors All novice coaches
Traditional view: This is the real world- people are bound to have competing agendas and goals and limited resources to share. Reply: Yes, internal competition was built into the system.The senior team lacked cohesionGreat Individual performance but not acting as a team (1/2 out of 10)Europe and America had different challenges than India, China and South AmericaThese were highly ambitious people who had risen based on superior individual performance more than their leadership or team work skillsThe overall weight of organizations cultural history was firmly rooted in individual performance and the “partnership” trackThe team definitely had it’s challenges to overcome- and they rose to the occasion
How did they overcome all this?:Ask vs. TellListenCuriousAsk questions to learn each other’s POVTeam coachingShared challengesShared vulnerabilityShared best practicesShared growth Shared commitmentShared goalsShared change management strategy & challengesSo you’ve been at this for a while, what are the results?
Senior leader shifted his focus and approach to spending 80% of his interaction time developing his team (Story of Tim)Entire team adopted coaching as their primary leadership style 2/10 – 7/10Team moved from low to high cohesion in only 5 months Two major change challenges successfully managed internal merger/divestiture and leadership illness/transitionNow spreading coaching from the top 12 to the top 200, who will take it to throughout the organization.Just last week approached about taking it corporation wide.
Quotes from more heroes at AccenturePlus the surprise effect…
Developing people with the Heart of a Conscious Leader2 sides of the same coin:For the coachee: they are listened to and respected as capable of finding their own best solutions. They get the joy and boost that comes from finding their own “aha’s”For the coach: they stop trying to own the answer, they see their job not as problem solvers but people developers. They learn to shut-up and listen. They get truly curious. They get the pleasant surprise that their people often come up with better solutions than they would have advised. They learn to be vulnerable. They learn to be authentic leaders.
Readiness- is the business stable?: profits/safety, customers/relationships & systems for scalable performance levels 1-3Do you have low entropy: <10%: Healthy Functioning, 11-19%: Minor Issues,20-29%: Significant Issues,30-39%: Serious Issues,40-49%: Critical IssuesAre people asking for lots of level 4 & 5 valuesIs there commitment at the top and ambition/engagement to succeed?Are the leaders and the culture ready to step into we/us?
If so, Teach them to coach, & transform their hearts
The story of one global organizations leadership journey from me-we-us.
