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Looking for a Bigger Piece of the Pie?
I recently caught up with Greg Lippert, CEO of Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, the Tulsa-based restaurant company with 170 locations in 10 states. From his days as a college soccer player to positions with heavyweights like Proctor and Gamble and Philip Morris, Greg came up through the ranks in typical Type A fashion eventually holding several executive positions in the fast casual dining sector before returning to Mazzio’s as CEO.
As we were kicking around the latest and greatest happenings in our worlds, I took the opportunity to ask Greg to share his advice for those Type A’s who are looking to move into executive leadership.
Here’s Greg’s advice on how to get a bigger piece of the pie.
1. You must know how to manage your time and your mind.
“As CEO, the toughest choice is knowing how to best manage your time and your mind. As you get higher and higher on the ladder, you give up more and more of your time and your mind to issues that you may not have previously considered. You must be constantly thinking about the results of others… the morale of employees, how the company is advancing, whether or not the business plan is accomplishing the company’s goals. It’s no longer about your own results. You have less and less brain space to focus on yourself or your family. If you can’t manage your time and your mind, you’re not going to be successful.”
2. Understand the financial impact of your decisions across the board.
“You are only as good as your bottom line. More and more often pay is being tied to performance. And it’s not just your performance but the entire company’s performance. The company’s financial responsibility is shared responsibility.”
3. Explore your career and lifestyle options early in your career.
“Use your education years and the time in your 20′s to explore opportunities in lifestyle and career that you believe will help you feel fulfilled today and into the future. Don’t make a commitment too early. Find a career or industry that you will still enjoy years later. And develop a secondary interest, such as a hobby or volunteer work, so you don’t become too job focused.”
4. Learn project management skills.
“The biggest gap we have between our experienced baby boomer leadership team and the next generation is strong project management skills. No one is being taught project management. Someone who has great project management skills will be invaluable to growing companies.”
Master the Rules Before You Break’em
Admit it. Rules can feel like a ball and chain around your neck.
In the minds of many turbocharged Type A’s, RULES get in the way of RESULTS. The more successful Type A’s become, the more likely they are to rebel against rules in a short-sighted manner and send their companies or their careers down the stinker.
Pay attention if you’ve got any of these red flags waving in your head.
“If they would just get out of my way, then I could really get the big things done.”
“These damn rules are ridiculous! They just slow me down and put up silly barriers to getting things done.”
“I’m a bigger producer than anyone else, so I shouldn’t have to play by the rules.”
“Rules are for losers.”
“I’m smarter (faster, more talented, more successful, etc…) than the people who made the rules, so why should I follow them?!”
Here’s the dark side to this Type A trap. If you break the rules before you master them, you look disrespectful, rude, insubordinate, rash, arrogant… fill in the blank with a whole host of other unpleasant, stinky descriptors.
However, here’s what’s cool about rules. If you master the rules and then break’em (in a constructive manner, of course), you look courageous, visionary and innovative.
What kind of Rule Wrangler are you?
As you ponder your answer, turn up your speakers and join me in singing The Type A Anthem…
Whac-A-Mole Type A’s Need Not Apply
For all of you Type A’s out there who want to stay competitive in the job market, Robyn Greenspan’s Letter from the Editor in the August 24, 2009 edition of ExecuNet’s newletter, Executive Insider, is too good to not pass along.
Check out what Robyn writes:
“I get a lot of books. Newly released, galley copy and self-published business, leadership and career books frequently wind up in my office.
Amidst these brand-new, bright and engaging covers are a few that are more weathered, one of which is The Effective Executive [Harper & Row, 1966] by Peter Drucker. Despite the advanced age, the book still holds deep relevancy — even without any references to the Internet or technology tools.
The characteristics that shape executive effectiveness, according to Drucker, are:
* The ability to use time wisely.
* A laser-focus and drive toward organizational contributions.
* “Making strengths productive.”
* Foresight, self-reliance and courage — which are the hallmarks of leadership.
* Cogent judgment and decision-making.
“Self-development of the effective executive is central to the development of the organization,” writes Drucker, adding that “Executive effectiveness is our one best hope to make modern society productive economically and viable socially.”
Notice Drucker specifies “self”-development, which is increasingly important as organizational budgets get squeezed and the burden of education and training falls directly on executives’ own shoulders. Executives certainly sharpen their abilities through everyday practical experience but learning and improving are ongoing endeavors.
Drucker’s emphasis on self-directed learning and growth more than four decades ago could not be more timely. Nearly half (48 percent) of the executive recruiters ExecuNet surveyed in August reported they expect companies will leverage the current economic climate by “trading up” with new hires for existing positions, elevating self-development to an even higher priority.”
Well said, Robyn!
Listen up, all of you “whatever it takes” warriors and warriorettes. Companies are no longer are willing to tolerate Type A top performers with rough edges. Get out your sandpaper or get out of the game.
Buried Alive
When we keep doing the same things over and over again – or thinking the same things over and over again – we dig ourselves into a Type A rut. What’s really tragic is that we rarely notice the walls closing in on us. We are so busy, so stressed and so driven to accomplish the big goals that we can’t see what we are doing to ourselves. That’s how Type A superstars get buried alive.
As the novelist Ellen Glasgow observed, “The only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions.”
What are you digging for yourself?
Rude Awakening
Newsflash! Research proves being rude at work hurts the bottom line!
Oh, please. Did we really need a research project to tell us that? Apparently so.
As reported in Human Resource Executive Online, researchers studying the effects of rude behavior found that both the targets of the rude behavior and the second-hand victims were negatively impacted by just one incident of rudeness. Problem solving, creativity and learning all decreased after rude behavior occurred.
According to Donna Flagg, founder of The Krysalis Group in New York City, “Oftentimes…the rudest employees also just happen to be the highest producers and line management does not want to let them go.
Here’s the kicker: Rude + High Producer = Type A on the path to a train wreck. It’s just a matter of time before things implode.
Pulling rude Type A top performers back on track is not for the timid. It requires a special touch. Admonishing, threatening or hog tying a Type A with more rules is only throwing gasoline on a smoldering fire. If you want to avoid the train wreck, you must get right to the root of the rudeness.
I’m going to tell you a secret. With the exception of a few nut cases and some celebrity Type A’s who have built billionaire brands on hurling insults, Type A rudeness tends to grow from one of three roots: frustration, fear or simply being unaware of how they are coming across.
Digging Deep for Black Gold
A big congratulations to Mark Bronston, CEO of Legends Exploration LP located in Houston, TX. Mark, along with a team of fellow scientists, received the prestigious 2009 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s Thayer Lindsley Award for the discovery of the Donlin Creek gold deposit, considered to be one of the largest umined pure gold deposits in the world.
During a recent conversation with Mark, I asked this award-winning geophysicist what are the toughest decisions he has to make as CEO. Mark replied, “The toughest decisions are the people-related issues ranging from dealing with regulatory agencies to negotiating with landowners to keeping everyone motivated, enthusiastic and collegial. It never goes away.”
In Mark’s opinion, the oil and gas exploration business attracts a certain kind of people – “Type A people on steriods” – who, at the end of the day, can handle a big failure with nothing to show for their efforts but a dry hole.
Mark offered some advice for high potential Type A’s who have their eyes on the top job.
1. Be absolutely sure you love what you are doing. Don’t let money be your driver.
2. Early in your career seek out the programs and learning opportunities that may not be the most glamorous but will help you create a strong foundation that will set you apart from your peers. Don’t shy away from the blocking and tackling positions.
3. Save yourself some heartache. When you get angry or affronted, hold your breath and count to ten. Consider that email you want to send before you send it. Act professionally regardless of how you feel.
Great advice from a modern day prospector.
Type A Trap: Big Expectations
Having a tough time being disciplined and following through with your commitments to yourself?
Big expectations may be to blame for your blase.
Turbocharged Type A’s love to get dramatic results quickly. If you’re brushing your teeth in hopes of meeting Prince Charming, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Sooner or later, you’re going to get disenchanted and toss the toothbrush out the door.
For Type As it’s tough to stay disciplined and motivated when the pay-off seems too far off, too small or too boring. The solution? Turn down the short-term expectations and keep your eyes on the longer term, bigger pay-off.
Type A’s You Can’t Trust
“I just can’t trust her (or him).”
One of the most common problems I help clients solve is how to work with The Type A You Can’t Trust. The culprit might be the conniving chairwoman, the slick salesperson or the backstabbing boss. Usually, these “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” Type A’s are found in positions of influence and power. They show their ‘good’ face in public and bring out the snarling monster in private.
Here’s the secret to dealing with The Type A You Can’t Trust.
Their game is using inconsistent, destructive behavior to keep you off balance. Don’t get sucked into their game. Expect them to be CONSISTENTLY inconsistent. Plan for their shenanigans. When you react in a way they don’t expect, THEY will be thrown off balance. The power shifts to you.
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It’s time to wake up and smell the truth. Like gas guzzling relics, traditional Type A’s are becoming passé. In the good ole’ days, with their steely-eyed focus and turbo-charged tactics, Type A’s could dominate the game by slicing, dicing and sacrificing. That pricey party is over. Award-winning executive coach Kay Cannon offers a funny insider’s look into the secret world of top performing Type A individuals and redefines how these talented and smart superstars can get great results without collateral damage.