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Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category

Lesson 233 Strategic Communication and Leadership

Posted in Higher Education, International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on September 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Weeks ago I mentioned here that I was writing another book about how those involved in advancing institutions will need to help prepare their constituents for dramatic change. As I was developing my ideas about changing government roles, the influence of technology, and internationalization, I found myself also taking a fresh look at the role leadership plays in effective strategic communication.

I urged that professionals in this field should be fine tuning their own leadership talents because they will need to use them to find support for what they can do, as well as to take advantage of the new opportunities that change can bring. But I also came to see even more clearly that the behavior of chief executives can make all the difference in the results:

1. CEO behaviors become a symbol of an institution’s brand identity. CEO words and actions both model and protect it. But they can weaken it as well.

2. Listening to constituents is an important overall CEO characteristic… but a firm and timely response is even more important when addressing urgent issues and crises.

3. The visual presence of the CEO in urgent situations is simply expected.

CEO’s certainly are entitled to their recreational activities, vacations, and to attend unrelated events. This applies to presidents of institutions… and countries. In fact, photo opportunities at the right time can humanize the person and the office.

But timing in a threatening situation is everything. People demand to see that their leader is present and in charge. And how the CEO behaves becomes a symbol of either a strong institution, or of one that is uncertain and vulnerable.

 

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Lesson 228 Leadership and “Presence”

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on August 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

When must a leader be present to lead?  And what actually constitutes “presence” in this age of digital technology?

President Obama has been criticized for appearing at so many fund-raising events around the country when there are multiple crises that need to be addressed. His defenders explain that with the technology on his airplane, and his advisors around him, he is on top of world events no matter where he goes.

But even in this age of imagery does “take charge” leadership really work that way?  I suggest that in many circumstances it does not.

My experience over the years would argue that there are many crisis situations where it is essential for a leader to be physically “seen” as present, engaged and performing as the leader. Technology can maintain connections very efficiently between critical meetings, but nothing substitutes for “showing up and taking charge.” In the case of presidential leadership, it might also mean that when he is not attending a critical meeting he should be seen as physically present in his established command post directing operations.

Exceptions would be largely ceremonial events where a representative clearly is an adequate symbol of a country’s or institution’s presence. Or when the top person has a clearly more important event that conflicts with this one.  Or when an adversary has orchestrated a “photo-op” style event designed to put this leader on the defensive  Even in this situation, however, it might be possible to still show up and strategically take charge, or to create another similar event where taking charge is designed into the situation. For example, when the Texas governor tried to get the president to go to the U.S. Mexico border with him, the president might have declined based on schedule, but then travel there later with his own “take charge” agenda.

Attending fund-raisers and playing golf in times of crisis makes too much potentially negative news, no matter the justification. Incessant daily questions and criticisms begin to sound credible, and repeated explanations appear defensive. They make leaders of both countries and organizations sound and look weak… and even out of touch.

Even in these times of instant digital technology, actually showing up and visibly taking charge is essential when institutions and worlds seem to be coming apart.

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Lesson 227 Taking Charge in a Crisis

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning, Strategic Communication on July 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As I wrote about crisis communication over the years I found myself saying early on that you must “look like you know what you are doing.” I did not mean this superficially. Rather, I meant it as an observation about how difficult it is to look confident and sound completely informed when all hell is breaking loose around you. This certainly has been a big challenge for the U.S president. And the 24/7 breaking news environment has not been forgiving.

White House responses this week to crises in the Middle East and Ukraine had me once again reviewing my crisis management “lessons learned.” Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Timing is everything. Getting all the facts together under media deadline pressure is more difficult than it looks. But speaking out too late can also allow someone else to seize the moment and put you on the defensive. There are no set rules here to follow. Experience certainly helps. But an overall predisposition to lengthy analysis can be a liability and make you look tentative.

2. Achieve a balance between looking confident and being willing to listen. Make an early statement to establish visible leadership.  Then quickly prepare a plan to take charge of the total situation. Tell them what you know. And then tell them how you will quickly find out what you don’t. Never announce an action that you don’t take.

3. Avoid direct confrontation. Confrontation allows your adversary to take the higher ground and put you on the defensive. Once there, it’s a difficult position to change. Establish your own solid ground by concentrating on making your positive and compressive plan of action look more thorough and credible.

4. Try to anticipate crises.  If it’s possible to anticipate a crisis long before it occurs you may be able to inoculate the situation by putting the matter on the public agenda yourself.  This is called issues management, a practice that includes producing a set of initiatives to systematically manage the situation before it is a problem.

5. Clearly list the other side’s errors. But be careful. After you have taken charge, presenting a concise list of the other side’s flaws can work. But avoid negative rants, and focus on facts. Attacking too soon and too often will make you look too defensive. Remember that over time some of your attacks may lose credibility with the public.

The U.S. president has the reputation of taking his time to analyze each difficult situation before deciding what to do.  While his inclination to be thorough is laudatory, he also has a tendency to wait too long to take charge. And even then, his announcements can sound more like a confrontation than a game plan for taking charge of the total situation.

In the final analysis, success depends on making good judgements about timing and substance. This is a talent that is fine-tuned with practice and experience. The communication dimensions of leadership are many, and the sophistication required for success is too often underestimated.

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Lesson 226 Warning: Rough Seas Ahead!

Posted in Higher Education, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on July 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Each year the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s Summit for Leaders in Institutional Advancement focuses on the big issues facing education… most especially higher education. This week much of the CASE Summit addressed the coming changes that will likely transform the entire industry.

General sessions featured panels of university presidents, association CEO’s, professors, advancement professionals, as well as a corporation head, a digital media executive, a journalist, and a department of education administrator. Collectively they explored what the future might look like for education.

In a nutshell, they reviewed the consequences of universal government cutbacks, a revolution in digital technology, and rapid globalization… all happening simultaneously. The bottom line: Everything changes, from curricula and teaching methods to how money is raised and where students go to learn.

Education advancement areas include fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, communication, government relations, and sometimes enrollment management and student affairs. Many of the changes that will both threaten institutions and provide exciting opportunities are in these areas. Underlying all of the Summit’s discussions were these questions: What should advancement professionals do to prepare their institutions and constituents for these changes? What opportunities will they have to lead the way? And what should they do to prepare themselves?

As mentioned in a previous post I am writing a book that addresses these issues and questions. It is scheduled for release at next year’s CASE Summit. Between now and then I will be reporting here on my progress.

 

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Lesson 221 Strategy…Then Tactics

Posted in Higher Education, Integrated Marketing, International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on June 12, 2014| Leave a Comment »

On a recent trip to London I met with several university colleagues. I was interested in how they saw the challenges facing the future of our industry affecting those who market and communicate our institutions.

They shared my concern that many people new to our profession are focused so intensely on social media that they may be missing opportunities to learn about strategic thinking and planning, which is what really drives everything we do.

We discussed how social media use was changing almost daily. Experience is revealing what each one does well, and what it doesn’t. Facebook is good for reaching some constituents, but can be a waste of time when overused or when your “friends” are changing their patterns. Twitter can bring people to a website or meeting, but following or tweeting too often can be more fun than useful. It’s true that you can tweet links to connect people to more substantive material, but that works only when they follow those links and respond to them. True professionals in this field will be constantly evaluating all their tools, and will be making adjustments as use patterns change.

Leadership in marketing and communication happens at the strategic thinking and planning level. Knowing how to select the tools preferred by each audience, and then to use them simultaneously to increase intensity, is the key to success. And by the way, the tools selected will almost always include a mix of both old and new media.

With the coming sea change in higher education, this profession will have more opportunities for leadership than ever. Becoming an expert in new media might get you a job today, but learning about strategic thinking and planning just might get you a really exciting career!

 

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Lesson 219 Pope “Communicator” Francis

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Media Literacy, Strategic Communication on May 30, 2014| 1 Comment »

Many people have found this Pope refreshing. As a communicator he seems to possess a special instinct for relationship building and reconciliation. Here is my thinking about why he is so effective:

1. He first travels to the location of conflict or misunderstanding.

2. He focuses on “looking” comfortable and breaking down barriers. He thereby takes stress and tension out of the air.

3. Eventually he makes observations carefully worded to avoid direct confrontation and enable the possibility of fresh thinking.

4. He then invites key players to come to “his house” at a later time for conversation and prayer, where he will begin by clarifying common interests. Doing this at a later time in a neutral and private location is important.

5. He thus establishes common ground, and a “safe” place for candor and fresh thinking.

6. Finally, he also demonstrates how different religions’ history and beliefs need not divide, but rather can establish mutual respect and accommodation.

This Pope’s communication strategy is not one of how to win an argument. Rather, it is one of demonstrating how to side step confrontation and choose what unites over dwelling on what divides.

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Lesson 202 State of the Union

Posted in Higher Education, Leadership, Strategic Communication on January 31, 2014| Leave a Comment »

The State of the Union address each January has evolved to an hour-long (or longer) list of every problem imaginable, along with statements about how to solve them which have little (and sometimes no) actual substance. President Obama’s speech this year was no different.

No matter your political bias,  it seems obvious that there is no way the country can afford to accomplish all these recommendations. It is therefore likely that most people will conclude this exercise was mostly just talk. And with such an endless list, it is impossible to remember what the president might really want to accomplish.

By covering so many issues the president gives up an opportunity to control the message you receive. In fact,this kind of speech actually allows you to choose whatever points you want to remember… and those are likely to be the ones that make you most mad! This type of speech, intended to unite and inspire, will  inevitably end up dividing and confusing.

I suggest that next year the president revise the state of the union address format to focus only on a few of his priorities. In fact, it would be best to limit the speech to only 3 or 4 points, with possibly only one of them emphasized. His introduction should focus on convincing the audience that he knows their priorities, as well as their pain. The body of the speech should follow with a pragmatically thought-out plan for actually solving the main problem, with a brief description of how he is addressing the others. Examples can then support these points with credibility– rather than having so many of them come off as emotional platitudes. His conclusion should then be a quick summary, with a dramatic call to action. It’s deadly to sound like you are concluding when you are not!

Days before his speech this year the president said his priority will be to close the widening gap between the rich and poor. I believe it would have been a much more successful speech if he would have focused mostly on that point, made his case with a substantive plan, and then called the country to action.

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Lesson 196 A Higher Education Narrative

Posted in International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning, Public Affairs, Strategic Communication on December 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

News reports last week about divisive tensions related to governance between the president of the University of Texas and the system chancellor increase concerns about the politicization of higher education.  This, coupled with news reports about potential new regulation coming soon from Washington, heightens those concerns even more.

Simply put, the US already has the best system of higher education in the world. Its’ diversity of institution type, wide range of prices, discounts based on need and talent, and program strengths, is unmatched anywhere. And it achieved that distinction through the work of talented teachers, top researchers and imaginative leadership. What happens to all this when partisans start thinking they know better than the best and most experienced experts?

Yes, there are some weak institutions, weak professors, and weak administrators. But from time I spent doing management training, I know first-hand there is deadwood everywhere, most especially in businesses and legislatures. But there is talent everywhere too. And that most certainly includes universities.

Economic realities, new technologies and international trends require the most talented in every industry to lead. Higher education in the US is already the established global leader with the proven  ability to develop first-rate international leaders, conduct the highest level research, utilize the latest cutting-edge technology, produce the most effective international citizens, and ultimately help solve the world’s most pressing problems. This is our narrative, and everyone in higher education must help communicate it.

It would be an absolute tragedy for us to tear apart our hard-earned success through political extremism. Otherwise, we will end up handing over well-established international leadership to foreign institutions… many of which, ironically, are already learning how to do it from us!

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Lesson 193 Thankfulness and Leadership

Posted in Branding, Leadership, Lessons Learned on November 30, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It should not be surprising that events in Washington have me thinking about leadership! As a result I am developing an outline for a new course in the TCU honor’s college. My working title is: “The Essential Communication Dimensions of Leadership.” And somehow this Thanksgiving week has me also thinking about how the concept of  “thankfulness” might actually factor into my communication-centered approach to this subject.

To be sure, leadership has many communication dimensions: Planning messages and tactics; assessing audience needs; chairing meetings; managing group process, using multimedia; dealing with journalists; handling sensitive issues; managing crises and conflict; inspiring essential support; dealing with internal politics; developing a personal leadership identity; and on and on. Indeed, communication savvy and skills are key components of a leader’s success. But it was this last topic, “a personal leadership identity,” that leaped out to me as I pondered the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday.

If you listen carefully to a would-be leader’s rhetoric you can tell who is and who is not a phony. Some are too focused on themselves to express thanks for the system that enables their success. They never think to describe the beauty of a democracy where all ideas must be freely expressed and examined. Rather their talk is about themselves.

Self-centered rhetoric quickly becomes negative. It eventually attacks others and focuses on destroying rather than building. In the end, it’s all about personal attention and cleverness… and never pauses long enough to say thanks for a diverse world of great ideas.

Worthy leaders will always express thanks for our unique democratic process. These leaders are the ones who add value because they have a clear positive mission and goals beyond themselves. They do not attack, but rather choose to put forth well thought-out ideas and programs. They find genuine solutions rather than focus on the destruction of what exists.

And what’s more, the most worthy leaders will actually be thankful for their “loyal opposition.”  This is because they understand that it’s this incredibly diverse democratic system of ours that makes our one-of-a-kind life and culture possible. It’s precisely because we can embrace so many different ideas simultaneously that we have the abundant freedom and opportunities that we do. Self-serving phonies forget this, but the rest of us must not.

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Lesson 189 Mean-Spirited Communication

Posted in Leadership, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on November 2, 2013| 1 Comment »

Watching congressional hearings this week I have been reminded of the communication consequences of mean-spirited combative communication.

This is not complicated. When we are aggressively attacked we strike back. When someone approaches us proposing a get acquainted conversation we are more likely to open up and explore common ground possibilities.

The subject of one of the hearings I observed was the administration’s response to the bloodshed in Syria. State Department officials were testifying, and legislators were attacking. It stands to reason that this kind of confrontation will accomplish nothing. In fact, it is likely to make matters worse. Polarization worsens. Colleagues become enemies.

Not only are such hearings difficult to observe, they become repulsive to thoughtful people. Active citizens get disgusted, then get angry, and then drop out. And eventually many become protestors… or even worse.  

When will we learn that not only are we destroying our democracy with such mean-spirited behavior, we are looking more and more foolish to the rest of the entire world?  And who wants to follow an example like this?

This is not political positioning. It’s simply a lesson from communication 101.  

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