Excerpt from A-CHIEVE! (June 2011)

CHRIS CLANCY, Director Network Technology for the Cleveland Clinic, is a highly motivated leader who has an unquenchable thirst for learning as evidenced by his philosophy: “If you’re going to be an effective leader, you must continuously carve out time to learn and grow through a variety of venues. As Lou Holtz said ‘In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.’” We were excited to interview Chris to learn how highly motivated leaders and avid learners, like Chris, develop highly motivated teams. Chris shared his approach.

“Before a leader attempts to analyze team member motivations, the leader must first understand what motivates people. There are numerous human behavior methodologies that explain how our brains biologically work and how we function as a species. I’ve adopted the SCARF Model developed by NeuroLeadership.org. It’s easy to understand, remember and apply.

Excerpt from A-CHIEVE! (May 2011)

BRANDON DAVIS’ responsibilities cover a wide swath of territory, both literally and figuratively. Within URS Corporation’s Industrial Process Business Group, he manages accounting, financial reporting, human resources and all back office functions, as well as strategic business planning, so their group of highly talented, tightly integrated engineering, construction and technical teams that span the US and more than 40 countries, can do what they do best – service their clients across the globe.

Dividing his time between his Cleveland and Houston offices plus traveling to multi-country construction sites on an ‘as needed’ basis, Brandon operates in a borderless world. We asked Brandon: “What does it take to be a creative leader in today’s global marketplace?”

“When you go international, you must adapt to the other culture’s style and respect each person’s position and country. For example, in Latin America, it’s a different business culture. In order for your team to succeed, you must recognize that the local people know the process and how to get things done – rely on your local experts. As you tap into their culture, engage them in a friendly manner, be open to and actively listen to their ideas and opinions, build strong relationships, be patient and be acutely ‘communication aware’. By that I’m referring to ‘high context’ and ‘low context’ cultures. In a high context culture, many things are left unsaid, letting the culture explain. A few words can communicate a complex message. You have to read into what people mean plus sometimes ask a question several different ways to truly understand the messaging. As an example, in those cultures where it is improper to say “no”, even if you’ve given the team approval to say “no” if they can’t accomplish something within an ultra aggressive timeline, you must dig deeper to understand the reality behind their spoken words. You might also ask open-ended questions such as : “What are we doing right?” and “What are we doing wrong?” – then actively listen. In a low context culture, the communicator is very explicit. They tell you like it is. Most of these aspects apply to both international and domestic relations. Although not as pronounced, there are even cultural subtleties across the U.S.  As a creative leader you must recognize it’s not ‘one size fits all’ and adapt accordingly.” 

Excerpt from A-CHIEVE! (April 2011)

KEITH PEALSTROM is a leader on the move! In addition to being the owner of Spectra Hardware, Inc. (plasma products, software and instrumentation manufacturer, founded 1981) and Wespan, Inc. (internet hosting company, founded 1999), Keith is also a SharePoint Evangelist plus former Learning Tree International Instructor.