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Welcome to the LeanForward, Inc. blog, which I’ve titled LeadingForward.

There is no doubt that the subject of leadership has been extensively addressed and that good research and thoughtful writing abound. The trouble, from my perspective, is that we still see far too many examples of irresponsible, unprincipled and ineffective leadership that have had a devastating impact on people and organizations. I want to be part of a movement that changes this reality and creates a core of leaders whose first priority is to serve those they lead and create positive results for all stakeholders.

In August of 2008, I left a decade of employment with Duke University to start my own company, LeanForward, Inc. I’ll wait for another day to discuss the wisdom of walking away from a secure job with a good income in the middle of a global crisis to begin a new venture. For now, just call it a leap of faith. For me, it has been a leap into a huge gap or void; not so much into an unknown and uncertain business climate, but rather into a vacuum created by a lack of principle-based leadership. This vacuum draws me – it compels me—to do something, anything, to help restore the faith people once had in leaders and redeem the hope and trust that have been lost.

The opportunity to work for an organization of the caliber of Duke (and several other good organizations over my career) provided me with a living laboratory for learning about leadership – i.e., what works and what doesn’t work in the real world. As an executive leader in human resources, I’ve had successes and my fair share of failures. I’ve tried to learn from all of these personal experiences, as well as the experiences of others. In fact, I’m still learning. The opportunity I have now is to work outside the confines of a particular organization in an effort to improve the practice of leadership across multiple organizations and industries. One way I can do this is by promoting the practice of “thought leadership.” I believe a good thought leader is someone who is a well-intentioned yet persistent provocateur and revolutionary. Provocateurs challenge embedded mental models – the cognitive shorthand we use each day to evaluate, define and respond to people and situations. Mental models need to be challenged when they keep us from being open to new ideas or inhibit our willingness to examine our conclusions about what is true. Revolutionaries challenge established practices, structures and authority. Practices, structures and authority need to be challenged when they fail to meet the legitimate needs and interests of people and organizations.

My personal mission is to play a part in helping to close the gap and fill the void created by poor leadership, and the systems and thinking that enable it. I hope this forum, and others like it, create a thoughtful, open and practical exchange of provocative, revolutionary and energizing ideas for building strong relationships and accomplishing superior results. I encourage you to join me in this effort. Your comments, suggestions and perspectives are always welcome. You may email at mark.rumbles@leanforwardinc.com.

Sunday

Feb122012

The Chase

Sun, February 12, 2012

I have a 13⁺ year-old border collie named Strike. For an old dog, he still has a lot of energy – he just uses it uses it more judiciously as he ages. Smart dude. Strike has always liked to chase balls, bikers, joggers, and critters of all kinds. His chase instinct is triggered by anything that moves quickly, especially if it darts in different directions. Kids on bikes and white-tailed deer are Strike’s favorite prey. I say “prey” with tongue in cheek. Strike has never actually caught anything. He has managed to tree a raccoon and scare the hell out of a few people but he has never bitten anyone or retrieved anything other than a tennis ball. For Strike, it’s all about the chase.

Like Strike, most of us find something exhilarating about the chase. It taps into our natural instincts and desires. The chase plays out repeatedly in romance, politics, athletics, education, careers, and other aspects of life. It is powerful because it creates energy (motivation) and focus (discipline). Truly great things can be accomplished when individuals, teams and organizations discover and activate the motivation and discipline to pursue worthy objectives.

Compelling visions, stretch goals, and strong values have power because they represent worthy objects for the chase. They have the potential to trigger purposeful, target-driven action. In some cases, the objects of the chase will never be fully captured because they are ideals. For example, perfect, universal “respect” will never be achieved in any organization, yet it still provides a noble and necessary value to chase. The power of the chase comes from anticipation of achieving something great – something just beyond our grasp.

As a leader you have to become a master of the chase, for yourself or others. If you are finding yourself a bit stale or in a rut, you may need to discover, or rediscover, what greatness you have stopped pursuing. Have you settled for mediocrity, safety or predictability? Realize that settling is very different from being content. We should all strive to find contentment with what we have in our grasp. At the same time, we need to press forward. We are built to continually learn and contribute. The energy to do this is sometimes latent within us, but it is still there regardless of our age and season in life. The key is to find something worthy to chase, starting with improvement of our own character and the pursuit goals that add lasting value to our lives and the lives or others.

We all need to chill out at times; however, the spice of life lies in the heat of the chase for what matters most. Decide what this is for you and those you lead. Picture it, describe it vividly, and then go after it with passion and resolve. If you capture or realize the object of your chase, celebrate and cherish it, then set the bar higher and “Strike” out after it.

Mark Rumbles, President |

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