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Leslie Kossoff is a management consultant and author with an outstanding reputation as an invited speaker at professional and educational conferences. Her second management book, “Executive Thinking: The Dream, The Vision, The Mission Achieved”, was selected as one of the Top Ten Books of 1999 by Tom Brown’s Management General, the “New Ideas” Webzine.

Tom (MG) and I (MGT) spoke with Leslie (LK) about her book and how it can change your company, your outlook, and your life.

MGT Leslie, why this topic? What message did you want to get out?

LK As you may know, I started in the world of Total Quality – before it had that name. For all the successes – and failures – I saw, there always seemed to be something missing. Even when I worked and spoke with Deming, we were always looking for that secret key that somehow kept eluding everyone. Eventually, I realized that it was the executive thinking part of it.

Executives consciously use thinking skills that we all have but don’t always use. More than that, they have so much more to contribute but stop themselves because they think that their dreams can only be dreams. The book was in part to explain what I had learned about their thinking process, to give them guidance, and to free them to do even more.

MGT What are those thinking skills we don’t use enough?

LK It really starts with the dreaming process.

We have such beautiful pictures in our heads about what we believe could be. Unfortunately, the only time anyone hears those dreams is when we are complaining to one another. They usually show up as an “If I were in his or her shoes” sort of comment.”

When we access those dreams and add the technicolor detail – and then begin building an organization in alignment with those dreams, everybody gets the chance to access into their thinking and dreaming skills as well. Ultimately, that truly creates the best use of the human capital housed in the organization.

MGT How does an exec know which dreams can be ‘built in technicolor’?

LK It isn’t a matter of one dream over another. The executive has a comprehensive picture in his or her head – usually without specific words to describe it. Also, the dream is iterative. As the executive learns and experiences more – and as aspects of the dream are manifest the dream becomes better and more clearly defined.

Some parts may end up not fitting in – or at least not at the moment – and others will be altogether new as more people work to achieve the dream and add their own thinking to the process.

MG Leslie, what first drew me to your book is that this point is, in many ways, THE dividing line between managers and leaders, no? Having a “dream” and having the passion to change the priorities to drive the dream?

LK Tom, you are right. That is the dividing line. Executives do things. They are leaders and trailblazers. Managers who just manage have the capability to do more but choose not to. They create their own limits. Executives – at all levels – don’t believe in any limits at all.

MGT But not all dreams are do-able, right?

LK Not all dreams may be do-able at the particular moment, but true Executive Thinkers are so committed to their belief that it can be done that they continue to persevere to realize the dream in their head.

MGT Executives lead, managers limit themselves – that’s pretty direct. What about executive thinking by managers?

LK Being an executive thinker is not limited by position or hierarchy. People at all levels of the organization are doing executive thinking – and succeeding at it, too. One of the things I always maintain is that organizations succeed in spite of themselves mostly because of the miracles that people are achieving internally every day – and about which few people ever know.

Hierarchical executives practice the skills more consistently because they have to lead their organizations and they know it. Managers and non-management do the same because there are things inside the enterprise that need attention and these people are committed to their and the organization’s success. Executive Thinking, starting at the most senior level and continuing throughout the enterprise brings an alignment to all those disparate activities and gives everybody the chance to succeed and be rewarded.

MGT Can an organization do things to foster executive thinking? Should they?

LK They can and they should. It is preferable if it starts at the top of the organization, so we’ll take it from that perspective.

First, the executive has to become very clear about what it is that is included in his or her dream. That’s harder than it sounds because it forces executives out of the box they have created for themselves. Once the dream is defined, then it must be communicated throughout the organization and a process of alignment begun. Granted this sounds the same as every program ever invented but the make or break is, initially, the executive’s dream and then the alignment of the organization with that dream and ultimately accessing and realizing the dreams of the employees within.

MGT Can it start from within the organization?

LK Yes, it can start from within the organization. A manager or employee will not only begin working to their dream but will garner the support of those around or reporting to them. It is a conscious effort to move away from the complaining behaviors and to creating the excellence that THEY want – and that’s the difference.

When it comes from within it eventually gains attention because suddenly a particular area is working so much better than before or is now a justifiable separate business unit . . . and it is because someone stepped up, communicated their dream for that particular part of the enterprise and made it happen. Not only does that create a great deal of attention (and sometimes jealousy) but it starts a questioning process that ultimately and informally moves and expands the executive thinking process.

MG Leslie, how many (in %) companies have the “right” supply of executive thinking (YOUR kind of). And, of the percent that don’t have it — how much are they missing, in terms of sales, performance, etc. (How’s that for a tough question!)

LK I can’t give you numbers – because I don’t really know, but the lack of executive thinking in an organization creates immeasurable losses in sales and profits and even more in wasted time effort and the loss of the best contributors to the enterprise.

MGT Can there be too much executive thinking in an organization? What if dreams clash?

LK John, you have struck at the heart of why executive thinking – and the dream in particular – must come from the top.

It is the dream that creates the alignment for the organization – that simple and elegant line about which I speak. Alignment with the dream also identifies the complexities that keep the organization from achieving its goals.

Even more, for those people whose dreams are not in alignment with the senior executive and they can be at any level – a thorough executive thinking process based on the dream of the executive will identify for the executive and the people themselves who really fits with the direction and intent of the enterprise.

MGT Dream the executive’s dream or hit the street?

LK Frankly, yes. I think too little of that is happening and we have created too many passive-aggressive organizations that have to work even harder to succeed in spite of themselves than they have in the past.

And executives shouldn’t use the law as an excuse. People who are actively working against the goals and direction of the organization can be identified and, if need be, terminated. The preferred route is that those people identify themselves and leave before it reaches that point.

MG Leslie, what about execs who dream “too low,” execs you’ve met who (you’ve thought) aren’t pushing the envelope as far as they should.

LK This is probably the biggest problem I have had with the executives with whom I’ve worked. In many cases they have become so used to not seeing their goals achieved that they have unconsciously lowered those goals so that, even if they are not building the organization of their dreams, at least they are seeing some successes. For them the challenge is to re-open their thinking and access back to what they had dreamed before – even if they have not been able to achieve those goals in the past. Once they have done that and added what they have learned they can expand their dreams to new heights.

MGT Is executive thinking (dare to dream) why startups achieve so much so fast

LK Yes, but it is also why they are so terribly unprepared for the growth that comes with success. It is much harder to grow a dream into maturity. I think that that is why we are seeing so many entrepreneurs come clean from the beginning that they are not even planning on growing their company or taking it public but have designed it simply for acquisition by one of the bigger organizations. MGT Leslie, can I go back to Deming if you have time?

LK Of course. MGT Can we apply Total Quality to the practice of leadership?

LK The simple answer is yes. Total Quality is based on the precept that any waste occuring within the organization should be stopped. (Remember, Deming was a statistician and the whole theory underlying Total Quality was based on the idea that if you remove variation, you remove waste.)

And, to be fair, Deming never acknowledged “total quality” per se. (I had to say that to keep things on the up and up.)

As far as leadership and Total Quality, that was really what Deming was trying to get at. If leaders are clear and consistent about their goals for their organizations, then the people and processes will be allowed to work at their optimum levels.

That was the thinking behind Executive Thinking, as well. It is, in effect, a prequel to being able to successfully implement any change or other process in any organization most efficiently and effectively.

MGT Leslie, Tom knows leadership is my big hot button. I don’t believe there is enough leadership in management in America today. Your book, and this chat, have given me a great new slant from which to continue to attack that problem and I sincerely appreciate it.

LK It is my pleasure. If there is any way I can help, say the word.

I agree with you about the lack of leadership and am very concerned. Right now we are in the upside of the cycle (I don’t care what those new economists say about there not being any cycles anymore) and I do not think we are prepared for how to handle the downside – especially since so many of our managers have only held their positions when things have been good.

(Ed. note: This interview took place on March 22, 2000, well before the collapse of the “new economy”.)

MG I’ve said for years that what companies TRULY need is managerial leadership! Leslie, THANK YOU for being available for this.

LK Thank you both – and, John, thank you for the opportunity to participate. I will always be happy to do so again.

By F. John Reh
http://management.about.com/

\\ tags: Business, Management