A Leader’s Quest for Leadership Excellence. A business novel.
Leaders nowadays are trained, coached, mentored, and evaluated in 360° feedback surveys. They learn about feedback rules, the theory of employee motivation, and how to set goals. Does this make them excellent leaders? Usually not, because key messages which reach the head but not the heart have little sustainable impact. Leadership is about the whole person, and people love good stories. This book encapsulates the theory of leadership excellence in a gripping story.
A sneak preview of the story ….
Kathleen Battlefield is in line to take over the family-owned business, but her father pulls the rug out from under her just before she is handed the reins. She then embarks on a journey that spans the globe to discover the secret of leadership excellence, which kindles a process of self-exploration and development.
Throughout the story, insights from business, research, and positive psychology underpin Kathleen’s international sparring partners’ ideas and approaches to leadership excellence. The PRISM leadership model, the cornerstone of Kathleen’s learnings, was built on the foundation of decades of scholarly research and hands-on experience, which the author has made in companies worldwide.
Each stop on Kathleen’s journey addresses one facet of the PRISM model. When we look at and experience things from a different perspective, we can perceive them with curiosity and openness (vs. fear and wariness). We can’t change what we see, but we can change how we see it. And with the help of a prism, Kathleen discovers new angles and insights she hasn’t noticed before. Each angle of the prism opens her mind and heart to leading people.
Each chapter concludes with a brief overview for readers to reflect on and apply the key messages. And indeed, as you will discover in the book, you can learn quite a bit about leadership success from an Indian start-up and a lot about leadership failure from the sinking of the Swedish warship Vasa during its maiden voyage in 1628
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…und natürlich überall, wo es Bücher gibt.
Over the past 25 years, I have had the honor of working with thousands of leaders and their teams from around the world. Some of these teams were high performing and worked closely together like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, such teams were the exception to the rule. Most of the teams I was called to were mired in conflict.
The story in this business novel is based, among other things, on research in Positive Psychology and Positive Leadership. Positive Leadership is a model of employee management and motivation, which was developed in particular by Kim Cameron.
I believe that people learn best when content is conveyed through a story. Hardly anyone can remember long lists of facts, let alone implement them successfully and sustainably. And, quite honestly, who wants to spend the time memorizing such lists? On the other hand, stories are easily and fondly remembered when they capture the imagination and heart.
Foreword by Dr. Dan Tomasulo
The Short Bridge
Swarm intelligence, or SI, is a field of study that looks for a relatively optimal approach compared to the traditional approach for problem-solving.
It borrows heavily from insects and animals’ social behavior as their efficiency is directly tied to their survival. There are no wasted movements or actions in the insect or animal world—as everything is designed for efficiency, effectiveness, and continued existence. Ant colonies are one of nature’s organizations that is deeply researched. Ants are fast, efficient, strong, and amazingly resilient.
We could learn a thing or two from them about how well how they work. When researchers look at ant tribes, they study foraging, division of labor, and effective and cooperative interactions. If businesses acted more like ant colonies, they would do better. They, too, would become fast, efficient, strong, and amazingly resilient—and more of them would thrive.
Many ant algorithms have been proposed when studying Ant Colony Optimization (Yes, there is such a thing.) ACO, as it is known, looks at the critical factors in the ant organization that make it function at an optimal level. With ants the optimization begins with the scout ants. The researchers focus on how they search out prime sources for nourishment and more importantly, how they find and communicate the shortest route to the source.
In 1989 a research team from the University of Brussels studying ACO wanted to test this scout ants’ efficiency. They did a variation on what is known as the double bridge experiment testing out how scout ants find the most efficient route to the food source. The researchers created two bridges (hence the name), one longer—the other shorter between the food source and the nest.
In a very rapid time, the entire colony uses the shortest bridge to get to the source. Others quickly begin to bring the source into their colony and effectively and efficiently distribute it throughout. (How that happens is a story for another time.) For now, let’s stay focused on the scout ants. How is it that they communicated the shortest route to their fellow ants?
In a primarily random pattern, all the scouts go out looking for a source. The scouts are dropping pheromones, a little chemical trail as they go along.
These are like the cookie crumb trails to show where you’ve been. (Or in the movie ET, the Reese’s Pieces trails left for ET to follow.) The difference with the scout ants is that if a particular path doesn’t find a source, the pheromones evaporate. If scouts don’t find anything, others won’t follow the wrong path. But when a scout finds a source that will nourish the whole colony, they bring the good stuff back home quickly along the most direct trail. Even if other scouts find the same source, the scout finding the fastest route is the one to follow.
Whitney Breer has found the short bridge. She has found a terrific source and is bringing it home to us in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Then she shows us how we can get to the source that nourishes us in the shortest amount of time.
The source is positive psychology for organizations—golden nuggets of wisdom on applying the best of positive psychology principles in business. The short bridge is storytelling. More than just the facts as the traditional approach uses, she has created the optimal strategy for solving how to make businesses flourish. She tells us the story of a fictitious Kathleen Battlefield, and along the way, leaves tasty cookie crumbs for us to follow. These cookie crumbs are the pheromones that keep us on the right path. Whitney Breer highlights the core principles, like working harder is not smarter, positive contributions, character strengths, SMART goals, the role of passion, purpose, and perseverance, and leadership excellence consists of IQ and EQ. Our scout also shows us kindness in relationships, positive emotions, and mindful listening through Kathleen’s adventure. Every step along the way, these tasty morsels guide us on the right path—the shortest path to bringing this nourishment back to our tribe. Along the way, Whitney gives you a chance to reflect on the journey. Most scouts out in the wilderness don’t do this, but Whitney Breer does—along with all the research to back it up.
How is it then that the other members of the tribe know to follow this scout? ACO researchers explain that since the scout brings back the information fastest, the trail gets followed by more and more ants—making the path known with more substantial pheromones. The excellent scout shows us the way, and as others of the colony follow this path, the tribe makes quick work of getting the nourishment back to their organization to thrive on. In other words, having everyone in the colony read the book is the best way to show them the source and how to get it back home.
Whitney Breer has done the exploration, found the nourishment, and left the trail to take us across the short bridge.
I’d follow her.
Dr. Dan Tomasulo
Chapter 1 A Hard Landing in Lafayette, Indiana
“Leadership excellence is made up of IQ and EQ. There’s not a shadow of a doubt that you’re a genius when it comes to facts and figures. You’re relentless when it comes to studying and amassing new knowledge. You learn new skills, acquire further qualifications, and can solve technical issues before most folks have even understood what the problem is. I am not second-guessing these strengths in any way. That’s all part of IQ.”
Spencer hesitated for a moment as he searched for the right words. “To be honest, it’s the EQ – the emotional part I mentioned before – the empathy for those around you –”
“You want me to feel sorry for everyone?” she butted in.
“No, not sympathy, I’m talking about empathy. It’s about having a heightened awareness of others’ emotions as well as your own. It includes things like mindful listening – truly being able to hear and understand the message behind other people’s words and being able to put yourself in their shoes and see and feel it from their perspective. Empathy truly appreciates and not just tolerates differences of opinion. Part of EQ means using and appreciating diversity – not just putting up with it. It’s being able to give feedback in a way that doesn’t hurt or attack other people. It’s the ability to build trusting relationships with your employees.”
Spencer paused to let his words sink in.
“Cut to the chase, Dad. You’re not promoting me to CEO? Isn’t that what you, Nate, and I have agreed on? I thought you were planning your retirement, and this is a family-owned company! If I’m not going to be at the helm, then who? Are you backing out on your promise?!” she fumed, as the words spilled out of her.
“You’re simply not ready, and I have a responsibility to the 16,000 employees worldwide who pour their heart into their jobs here at Battlefield Harvesters. It’s too early. You’re not ready to lead,” he said remorsefully.
“That’s not fair, Dad! I have paid my dues here! Do you have any idea what kind of hours I put in? I’m the first in and last out every single day. I have rolled out new product portfolios, increased our turnover, drastically cut running costs – that’s just to name a few things!” she screeched.
“Leadership is a privilege, not a birthright, honey. And as far as I’m concerned, it has nothing to do with paying your dues or working the longest hours in the company. May I ask you a question? And I want an honest answer.”
“Fire away. I’m always honest, as you well know.”
“Why do you want to be a leader?”
“What kind of question is that?!?” she screeched an octave louder.
“Why do you want to be a leader?” he repeated calmly and looked her in the eyes.
Kathleen’s mind went blank as she scrambled for an answer. Her head felt like a vacuum, and she could feel her face turning red. Finally, she stammered, “Because people want to follow someone with a high business acumen and someone who has a clear vision for this company.” Kathleen sat up straight and then added confidently, “And I have both.”
Spencer looked lovingly at his daughter. He had to give it to her – lack of self-confidence was not something she needed to worry about.
Chapter 2 Take-Off in Bangalore, India
Clive continued, “The loss of my brother was tragic, and I was angry. The manufacturer didn’t own up to the technical fault, and we had neither the money nor the personal strength left over for a lawsuit. So, I decided to fight it on my own terms. I didn’t know what purpose was back then. Now I know there’s a name for it.”
He paused to sort his thoughts and then said, “I remember watching President Kennedy on TV in 1961. Our TV might have been black and white back then, but Kennedy sure had a technicolor vision when he announced the so-called Space Race.”
“Space Race?” Ruchii had asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“His major goal was to see that the USA would be the first country to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. And as the story goes, when he visited the Space Center down in Florida a year later, he walked into the lobby, and observed a man cleaning the floors. He was probably getting the place all spiffed up for his arrival.”
“And?” Ruchii asked.
“Well, legend has it that Kennedy walked up to that man and shook his hand and asked him what he did at the Space Center. Just some small talk, the president probably thought. Most everyone says ‘facilities manager’ or ‘janitor’ or something down that line when they hear the story. What else would a man do who mopped the floors?”
Ruchii nodded in agreement as she was thinking the same.
Clive grinned and said, “As the story goes, when that man shook Kennedy’s hand, he answered, ‘Sir, I’m helping to put a man on the moon.’ Kennedy was dumbfounded and asked to speak to his boss. Then his boss’s boss. Then his boss’s boss’s boss. And so on and so forth, until he reached the head of the chain of command, the Director of the Space Center.”
Ruchii sat lost in thought next to Clive as the tractor rambled over the field, and he continued his story. “As the story goes, that director told Kennedy that every single person working there – be it a facilities manager or a rocket scientist – made a valuable contribution to that vision. He wanted each employee who reported to work there to find meaning in what they do. ‘Of course, there are clear hierarchies and job titles, but that has nothing to do with meaning’, he told Kennedy firmly. He even broke it down to the example of the man mopping the floor. He told Kennedy that if that man didn’t do his work conscientiously, then accidents could happen. People could slip or fall or hurt themselves – or someone could track dirt and grime into the research facilities and contaminate lab results. And you can’t be the first on the moon if folks are injured or lab results aren’t accurate. He told Kennedy that he wanted all of his employees to understand President Kennedy’s clear vision and have a resounding ‘why’ to the value of their job at the Space Center. Why do they do what they do? He was passionate about fostering this awareness in his employees. When people find meaning in their jobs, their jobs are fulfilling, and they know they make a valuable contribution to the team goal or company vision. This drives intrinsic motivation and boosts team performance.”
The tractor came to a halt as Clive pulled off to the side of the field. “Do you have your steno pad with you, Ruchii? I’d like to show you a technique I’ve used to help identify one’s purpose in life. This technique will help you better understand the difference between meaning and purpose,” he offered. She pulled it out of her backpack and flipped it open to a fresh page.
Chapter 3 Setting Sail in Stockholm, Sweden
That evening Kathleen, Lilly, and Nils arrived about an hour before the meeting to set up the room before the participants arrived. Nils opened the meeting in Swedish, explaining that they had an American guest, helping to transition the group into English.
Nils stepped up to the flipchart and drew a large “R” on the paper. Turning to the group, he said, “R stands for Relationships. Leadership excellence means building and fostering healthy relationships with employees and coworkers.” He paused a moment to let the words register and then added, “It also means helping to foster healthy relationships between employees.”
A young man in the group spoke up and asked, “We have to make them like each other?”
Nils smiled and answered, “No. Leadership excellence means taking responsibility for creating a climate where people enjoy coming to work. They feel safe not only in expressing their opinions, but also know that their opinions are appreciated and valued by you and their colleagues. There is a climate where no negative gossiping or online chats about another person takes place. It’s a climate where issues are not swept under the carpet, but rather addressed openly, respectfully, and timely. From Monday to Friday, teams spend more time together than with their own families. The workplace can be seen as an extended family. If people work day in and day out in a toxic environment – gossiping, lack of trust, hurting each other – they will not perform at their best.”
Kathleen thought about the type of climate that her team had. Was it a safe environment where people spoke up and felt appreciated? She somehow doubted it and then jotted down a few thoughts in her journal as Nils asked the group, “What happens when people don’t perform at their best?”
Participants in the room spoke up and said:
“They call in sick.”
“Or just don’t show up.”
“Or burn out and are gone for months.”
“In the meantime, other colleagues have to fill in for their sick coworkers while still getting their own jobs done, and then they are exhausted or frustrated or bitter. As a result, they get sick from work overload.”
“Or all of the above.”
“They stop contributing at meetings. They just sit there passively, not saying a word. It’s like a wave of apathy has rolled over them. They look out the window and daydream or play with their phones.”
“Innovation drops, because there are no new ideas. There is no motivation to speak up and contribute new ideas if you’re not in an environment where you feel safe and appreciated.”
“Productivity and quality drop. They are too busy fighting with each other or finger-pointing when mistakes are made.”
“Right – no ownership for mistakes and no learning from them.”
“And other people wind up making the same mistakes.”
“Then, you wind up with even bigger losses in productivity and quality.”
“There are no heated, passionate debates. No one cares anymore. It’s the classic ‘work-to-rule syndrome’. Everyone does exactly what they are supposed to do, but not one bit more. There is no thinking outside the box, no motivation to go the extra mile and a general sense of apathy.”
“People run to the boss to fix their problems, and the boss ends up like a group leader in kindergarten, solving interpersonal conflicts all day instead of doing what he or she should be doing.”
“And what should he or she be doing?” Nils asked, throwing the question into the round.
“Developing people,” replied a young woman in the back of the room.
“Right!” Nils agreed and reiterated, “developing people.”
“But that’s not his or her only job, is it?” Kathleen asked.
“No, but it’s one of their main jobs,” Nils countered. He then dug around in his satchel and pulled out five cards, waving them in the air.
Chapter 4 Instilling Energy in São Paulo, Brazil
At the same time, back at the company, Ana was also glancing at her watch. The town hall meeting was taking place after lunch, and she had blocked the next hour to wrap up her budget forecast for the next quarter. Since starting her five-minute-journal a year ago, she had learned, among other things, to prioritize tasks and stay focused. She remembered, in the past, wondering what she had actually done all day when the clock rolled around to 5:30 PM. Essential things that needed her full attention and energy were repeatedly postponed, and more often than not, she wound up either staying later in the office or taking the work home to finish. Neither of the two strategies was pleasing to her family.
She learned through self-discipline and better time management to make time for things that matter most. She planned these things into her workday, shut off her emails, and took no calls during that time slot. She and her assistant called it the “Fire and Blood Rule.” During this time, under no circumstances was she to be disturbed, unless there was a fire or someone so seriously injured that her help was needed. Hence the blood part of the rule. Enrico, her assistant, guarded her door and phone line like a bouncer at a night club and let no one through in that hour.
Once she got the hang of it, she was amazed to find out what she could accomplish in an hour or two of uninterrupted work. This principle had now been rolled out throughout the company. Teams in open-plan offices worked together to spot each other, and everyone scheduled in a time slot of uninterrupted work each day. Moving gradually away from multi-tasking and towards single-tasking had been a massive shift for many employees.
Ana had come across some research on this topic and decided it was worth a try. The research revealed that things that are done through multi-tasking take an average of 30% longer than if they had been done through single-tasking.
“That’s a lot of wasted energy!” she thought.
The article explained that 30% comes from the number of mistakes that are often made and the time needed to correct them, or just starting the same task over and over again because of interruptions. It also included the time the brain simply needs to refocus on what it had just been doing – before it was interrupted. Ana knew that it would be unrealistic to ban multitasking on the job. Many jobs and activities require it, but certainly not every task and definitely not the whole day. Since rolling out the initiative – “Focus” – in which employees are encouraged to set a top priority each day, she had been amazed how much had actually been completed. Some employees reported that they used the time to solve complex issues or simply to handle customer complaints that require calm nerves and full attention. Others used it to plan an important presentation or do research and reading on a relevant topic.
Chapter 5 Deep Dive in Christchurch, New Zealand
Tui nodded in agreement and continued, “The third keyword in the definition of strength is energizing. In a nutshell, using your strengths provides you with energy. It doesn’t drain you. Many folks talk about flow nowadays. Flow happens when you use your strengths and get so absorbed in a task that the time just flies by. Of course, everyone needs a rest – our energy isn’t limitless. But it’s not draining, that’s for sure. People don’t get restless or fidgety when they find flow in a task. Ever experienced that?”
“Today!” Kathleen smiled. “I love collecting and cross-comparing data. I have to admit that I love numbers,” she said and laughed. “Speaking of numbers, can I share some with you?”
“Fire away!” Tui replied.
“Well, circling back to the Gallup study, the article used a term that I picked up in Sweden during the second leg of my journey: the so-called positivity ratio. This is the ratio of positive, supporting, and appreciative statements versus critical, snide, and negative remarks that hurt a person or a team. I know that high-performing teams have a positivity ratio of six to one. In other words, six positive statements for every critical one. The so-called tipping point is the minimum that a team or person needs to start moving towards an upward spiral – tipping, you know, like a see-saw on a children’s playground. High-performing teams have a minimum positivity ratio of three to one. For example, any team with a ratio of two to one is quite shaky; it wobbles on the tipping point. It doesn’t take much – one snide comment or even a small setback – for the whole team’s performance to head into a downward spiral.,” Kathleen explained.
“So, if I understand you correctly, it boils down to how people talk to each other?” Tui wanted to know.
“Absolutely. Now the Gallup study revealed a so-called Engagement Ratio. This is the number of engaged employees needed to counteract disengaged employees. The study said that companies with engaged workers seriously outperform companies with disengaged workers, which is a no-brainer, I suppose,” Kathleen said.
“How exactly do they outperform them?” Tui asked.
“Well, to quote Gallup,” Kathleen said as she read from her notes, “these companies have a 4x greater earnings-per-share growth, better customer engagement, higher productivity, better retention, fewer accidents, and higher profitability than their competitors.”
“If that isn’t reason enough to focus on strengths, I don’t know what is. Do you have the exact numbers on the Engagement Ratio?” Tui asked.
“Yes. It’s four to one. You need four engaged employees to offset every one disengaged employee,” Kathleen stated.
Chapter 6 Safe Landing in Lafayette, Indiana
He picked up a piece of chalk and drew an arrow out from the bottom left of mindset and wrote fixed. Then he added a second arrow going off the bottom right and wrote growth.
“Folks with a fixed mindset believe or grow up being told that intelligence and talent are the two primary keys to success. They don’t believe that hard work or effort is required. Either you have it, or you don’t. Their traits, talents, and IQ are fixed. What you are born with is what you have, and either you’re lucky, or you’re not. Her research has shown that when folks have this fixed mindset, they often avoid challenges because they might fail. When obstacles or challenges come their way, they tend to throw in the towel early on and don’t put in the effort required to truly succeed. They also tend to take any criticism as a personal attack, lick their wounds, and don’t learn from it. In addition, instead of being happy for the success of other people, they feel threatened by it or are jealous of it.”
Tom stopped talking, so Kathleen could finish taking notes. “Where does this mindset come from?” she asked him.
“Ah! Good question! I’ll cover that in just a second. Why don’t we look first at the flipside of the coin, growth mindset,” he suggested. Kathleen nodded in agreement, and Tom asked, “What do you think, Kathleen? What is the flipside of a fixed mindset?”
“Well, a 180° flip would mean that folks with a growth mindset believe that intelligence can grow over time. It’s not ‘either you have it, or you don’t.’ A growth mindset means exactly that: growth. They grow from experiences and from learning, implement changes based on critical feedback, and go the extra mile to have success,” Kathleen surmised.
“You hit the nail on the head!” Tom exclaimed.
“A growth mindset is all about mastery, isn’t it? Constant improvement. It is being happy with what you have achieved and yet believing you have the potential to do even more,” Kathleen said as she thought about her discussion in the school in India with Vivek, Ruchii’s husband.
“Exactly. Folks with a growth mindset don’t even believe they are failing when they encounter setbacks. They think they are learning and don’t believe their talents are carved in stone. I guess they are like gardeners in a way,” Tom contemplated.
“What do you mean by ‘gardeners’?” Kathleen questioned him.
“They cultivate their talents and skills over time. That’s what we do here at the rec center with our after-school program …
Chapter 7 Flying High at Battlefield Harvesters
“Well, I have to give credit where credit is due,” Frank said. “In their book Switch, Chip and Dan Heath explain that there is an emotional and a rational side to change. The emotional side is the elephant, and the rational side is the rider,” he explained as he gingerly picked up the elephant, being careful not to knock the rider off its back. “This rider is perched on top of this huge elephant and believes he is in control because he is holding the reins, but he’s in a dicey position. Anytime this colossus disagrees with the direction the rider is trying to go, he can easily buck him off. The rider is overmatched by the six tons of the elephant and doesn’t have a chance in winning the battle.”
“Well, how does the rider keep the elephant on track then? Does he have to bribe it?” Zoey asked.
“Or beat it?” Cynthia added on.
“Ah! Good questions! Neither if you ask me. Of course, the elephant has strengths as well as weaknesses. The challenge is that the elephant is led by emotions and instincts. It enjoys instant gratification, for example, and sometimes it’s lazy or nervous,” Frank explained.
“And what about its strengths?” Spencer wanted to know.
“Well, emotions are also the elephant’s strengths. It is compassionate, loyal, knowledgeable, and has a long-term memory as well as fierce instincts. It has a lot of energy and motivation, which drives change,” Frank elaborated.
“And the rider? What does he want?” Nate spoke up.
“Well, the rider prefers to think long-term and is ready to do without short-term rewards. He wants to reach his goals – come hell or high water. The rider prefers to rely on his plans, and sometimes, he gets so busy analyzing data and crunching numbers that things don’t move forward. He falls into a ‘stuck’ state,” Frank explained.
“Something like paralysis through analysis?” Kathleen asked.
“Exactly!” Frank confirmed.
“So, the elephant is the good guy, and the rider is the bad guy?” Spencer asked as someone who preferred to rely on his gut feeling.
“No, no. It doesn’t have anything to do with good or bad,” Frank replied and paused to sort his thoughts. “In their book, the Heath brothers argue that if you want to achieve change, you need to appeal to both the rider and the elephant.”
“Like flying with both wings? The strategic and the emotional wings of leadership?” Kathleen asked.
“Exactly!” Frank agreed. “The rider has binoculars and is responsible for planning, strategy, and a clear direction. The elephant has energy, passion, expertise, and power to implement this change.”
“If you don’t mind, I think this is where I come in, Frank,” Kathleen said. She held out her hands, and Frank handed her the elephant and rider.
The learning journal is a separate workbook that accompanies you on your journey of self-discovery throughout the book. All the models and main content from the book “Leadership Starts with You” are illustrated and explored in greater depth. The learning journal gives you the freedom and creative space to write down your own ideas and thoughts.
Go to Leadership Starts with You: A Leader’s Quest for Leadership Excellence – Fielding Graduate University to find out more
Mit Humor, Kreativität, Leidenschaft, einer mitreißenden Ausstrahlung und einem außergewöhnlichen Talent, komplexe Themen zu veranschaulichen und auf den Punkt zu bringen, motiviert, fesselt und unterhält sie ihre Zuhörer in höchstem Maße. In ihren Vorträgen und Seminaren, die auch auf individuelle Bedarfe angepasst werden, gelingt es ihr spielerisch, den Praxisbezug für ihr Publikum herzustellen und den Raum für eine individuelle Selbstreflexion zu schaffen. Ihre Botschaft ist eindeutig: Wer Veränderung möchte, muss das Leben in die eigene Hand nehmen und zum proaktiven Gestalter werden. Whitney Breer inspiriert das Publikum genau dazu – mit einer Vision dessen, was möglich ist.
„Führung beginnt bei dir“ – der Vortrag
