I'm Lenka Los

I’m a lifelong experimenter. I thrive on change but ironically have spent the better part of my career in one of the most staid and traditional arenas – executive search. Early in my career I gained invaluable foundational experience working for leading international search firms where I conducted executive level searches for some of the biggest brands in North America in Technology, Life Sciences, CPG and Financial Services. 

Beyond the sheer variety, what’s kept things interesting for me for nearly 30 years has been the ability to shake things up every so often, introducing the ‘in-house’ model to one of Deloitte’s national practice groups; provided talent management to high-potential business professionals from top consulting firms and marquee companies and rolling out Six Sigma recruiting practices for CIBC. And, more than a decade ago, I recognized that Cleantech would be a thing and launched a practice around it and subsequently my own firm. I consider the broader innovation ecosystem my sweet spot and love learning from everyone I meet. 

Now it’s time to switch things up again. Having advised leaders and boards for over 20 years on talent, succession, business performance and brand narrative, my newfound passion is to help leaders and their organizations take part in their future by helping them truly understand what's getting in the way of their success, by getting to grips with the human factors and by tackling disruption head-on. 

Collaboration has been getting a lot of flak lately.  Apparently too much can stifle creativity by not allowing for solitary work, in the end affecting productivity.  But this speaks to collaboration between in-house teams.  Inc. published an article recently, http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/how-smart-people-collaborate-for-success.html where the author outlined solid advice to organizations and individuals looking to make the most of their collaborative efforts.  

Among the tips outlined were choosing partners wisely, setting aside polite discourse for open dialogue, creating communication and process guidelines to keep people in check and accountable and to ensure no one or group of people monopolizes the agenda, and, recognizing and rewarding participation and successful outcomes. This is all sage advice but to my mind it addresses limitations in team and project work rather than true collaborations.    

Perhaps this is why collaboration is getting flak; most people don’t appreciate the difference between partnerships and collaborative efforts.  The differences are subtle to be sure but meaningful.  Setting aside internal teamwork or project work, I’d like to share some of my perspectives on why collaboration is the way forward in addressing some of the world’s most pressing issues.  

The participants of collaborative efforts typically are drawn together through mutual desire to accomplish some aspirational objective.  Collaborative efforts are not simply joint efforts or efficiency exercises. 

When the stakes are high; the problems overwhelming; the desired result inspiring, that is when individuals seek out others who can assist in attaining these goals.  And invariably the people who are sought out are those who bring value to the equation.  That means no posers, no yes people and no group think.   When you realize that what you seek to address or create is beyond your own capabilities or that of your organization, self-interest is naturally set aside.  In reaching out to a potential competitor or outside party posturing is side-lined.  The problem is laid bare, and yes, others may very well dominate the conversation.   As Kevin Daum writes in his article, “real ground breaking ideas only surface when people go all in and get vulnerable”.    

Lack of engagement is also not something you will often find among collaborators.  These folks choose to be all-in and thus they are active, focused, responsive, reliable and respectful.  They know this is a give and take.  Brainstorming sessions are the norm.  Being bold; being outspoken; being irreverent is what is called for.  And typically, vocal praise and affirmation are nice but unnecessary to individuals who derive satisfaction from moments of creative genius.  

There are few who would dispute the fact that the growing complexities of our socio-economic systems are far beyond the capabilities of one.  It’s high time that as a species we evolve our thinking beyond pure self-preservation and move forward into the 21st century with the view to coexisting.  Parochial constructs have no place in our collective future.   And competition in economics is one of these constructs.    

On the playing field competition brings together an elite cadre of participants.  Rules, fair play and refereeing ensure that  champion emerges.  Our economies have evolved such that there were never any rules to begin with.  From time immemorial to the victor the spoils of war; empires won through conquest; riches secured by the conquistadors and ‘captains’ of industry.  Corporations have long and often operated beyond the rule of law and one need only look to the financial meltdown of 2008 to witness the effects of deregulation.  

Mercifully it seems hard lessons have been learned.  Voices calling for more sound and sustainable economic models are not being ruthlessly stomped out and silenced by those whose interest lies in the status quo. Collaboration, coexistence, cooperation is the way forward if we want to put a dent in the pressing and high-stakes issues that face our world like global warming, resource depletion, water scarcity and overpopulation.  

I don’t know when I first heard that term but it seems to be popping up again in management lingo.  I think it refers to what used to be called going that extra mile. It got me wondering whether being superhuman is all that desirable or whether the symptoms are pure kryptonite.  As it is popping up, I thought it worthwhile to see what it means in senior management circles these days.
Without a doubt we live in an era when we all seem to go that extra mile.  We are on-call, in the ready and working longer hours than ever before.  Few who have made it to the upper rungs of management got there without sacrificing regular dinners with the family.  In fact, few would suggest that getting to the upper rungs is even possible without the sacrifice.  In any profession success is measured in terms of commitment and that’s not just in attitude that means hours clocked in.  Whether you want to make partner, be CEO, run a successful business or launch a start-up, the day doesn’t end when the whistle blows.
Let’s be clear having a superhuman work ethic is not undesirable.  Success requires commitment and drive, the stamina to get you to the finish line.  But is appearing superhuman at times a symptom of being all too human?
We are all works in progress.  In almost every instance, a CEO when asked about the secret to his success will cite his quest to never stop learning.  Broad industry knowledge, commercial acumen and strategic insights come from making time to learn.  But in addition to ongoing learning, the climb to the top requires personal growth, the fine tuning of leadership skills and the mastery of personal effectiveness.  For every individual who reaches the peak of their career as a result of perseverance and hard work there are those whose careers get derailed because they don’t recognize that hard work alone is insufficient.  Being a workaholic is not the same as having a superhuman work ethic.  Recognizing that you could still up your game, knowing what drills you need to master and committing the time, that’s superhuman.
Still, at the highest levels of any game, fine tuning performance is hard primarily because the deficiencies are so subtle.  In the executive suite putting in the long hours can at times offer clues.  Hard work can mask suboptimal behaviours in many ways.  Below are a few of the more common behaviours and ways to up your game.
One of the first principles of leadership is delegation.  Not empowering others and enabling them to fully participate is often masked with superhuman feats of effort.  Are you truly getting the most from your teams?  Are there ways you can be clearer in seeking advice or gaining support?  Are you clear about priorities?  Are you more comfortable consulting only certain people?
The corollary to inefficient delegation is the lack of true team skills.  Do you consult and ask widely and regularly?  Are these requests framed in terms of common interests?  Do you view these as partnerships and exchanges aimed at continuous improvement and the team’s long-tern functioning?
Being able to make solid informed decisions is a key trait of leadership.  But what happens when we don’t have all the facts or can’t gather all of the information needed to make that informed decision?  I think we have all been in the position where we have taken it upon ourselves to supplement the input of others we rely on and tried to sort things for ourselves.  Prudence, preparedness and logic are all desirable but there is only so much reflection one can devote to a dilemma.  Paralysis by analysis, overthinking it, call it what you will, lack of decisiveness is a time waster.  Are you spending more time than you should cordoning yourself off to make decisions?  Perhaps you could think about your sources, their reliability and utility.  And, be selective; master the art of drawing a line in the sand with information.
Finally – and this is completely counterintuitive – is there perhaps a kernel of self-doubt or lack of self-confidence?  We all know what is expected of us.  Good leaders know that they are looked upon to set an example and to demonstrate commitment.  Fair enough but ask yourself one question.  Am I foregoing that game/holiday/family gathering/weekend for fear of being unfairly criticized for lack of commitment or will my ongoing contributions stand up to scrutiny?
Summer is officially here. Time to set aside the superhuman work ethic for a few months. Make a commitment to up your game – in the office and on the course.