Rogue Leadership Read online

  Praise for Rogue Leadership

  Paul draws on his significant experience as a senior leader in a highly successful international coaching consultancy as well as his more personal journey as a comic to share intriguing and practical ways in which leaders can initiate and lead change—and get great results. His humanity and desire to help shine through in this must-read from the front line of change leadership.

  —David Webster, Managing Director, Centre for Teams, London

  When we have reached the point in our growth and maturity, where we actively make use of adversity, or as the book subtitle states, “headwinds,” to drive our own growth and the organization’s innovation and creativity, we have risen above the blame-game and fear-driven reactions, and become high-performing, resilient, agile, motivated, and purpose-driven leaders. Rogue Leadership provides an excellent roadmap to your leadership growth journey with relevant examples and action-focused tools.

  —Sandja Brügmann, Managing Partner, the Passion Institute

  One of the things I like most about the advice in Rogue Leadership is that it’s universal . . . equally applicable to the management of any sized organization, in any industry, and from anywhere in the world. That’s because it’s drawn from firsthand practice in dozens of organizations across the globe, private and public. There’s nothing “theoretical” contained in these pages. It’s all hard-won experience, translated into practical advice.

  —Tony Shaw, Founder and CEO, Dataversity

  Rogue Leadership maps out a clear-cut process to ensure performance and a transformed workplace. Insightful, funny and authentic reflection backed by thirty successful years across industries and boundaries.

  —Ethan Zohn, global philanthropist, leadership coach, two-time cancer survivor, and winner of “Survivor: Africa”

  As a female thought leader and entrepreneur I always appreciate a style management that begins from the inside out. Paul’s ability to take leadership from the conference room to the comic’s stage is brilliant way of introducing a new management style set for the future.

  —Tracy Kemble, PhD, Owner, Dr. Tracy TV and Mrs. Globe

  Rogue Leadership really dives into the depths of leadership and how it is comprised and created.

  —Steele Platt, Founder, Yard House

  I spent more than twenty years in the Marine Corps, but that didn’t prepare me for leadership in a corporate world. Paul was my first boss. What a great ride! I had the benefit of learning directly what Paul has crammed into these pages. So many concepts, but the clarity of instruction gives any leader plenty to think about. It all starts with knowing themselves, the internal voice that they listen to. As Paul succinctly states, it’s not about thoughts, but actions and consequences. Sharpen your mind as you browse Paul’s buffet of leadership wisdom, earned the hard way through thirty years of practice. The rogue leader is the one who shapes the future. Is that you?

  —Craig Martelle, international best-selling author

  Rogue Leadership is very well written, easy to read and entertaining. A very important book on leveraging performance. A subject many companies and leaders themselves struggling with, given the complexity of business today.

  —Annelie Gullström, global digital and business transformation expert

  Maybe experts don’t always have the right answers. Some of us are meant to take the road less traveled and pursue opportunity others dismiss as too outlandish, too risky. Rosenberg articulates a convincing argument for listening to your gut. This book will help you find out if rogue leadership is in your DNA and how to flex your leadership muscle to challenge the status quo.

  —Frank Pietrucha, President, Definitive Communications, and author, Supercommunicator: Explaining the Complicated So Anyone Can Understand

  In this book Paul empowers you to trust in your intuition to fulfil your leadership potential. With a strong emphasis on cultivating our authenticity, Paul demonstrates the power we’ve had all along, resides internally, within the seams of our idiosyncrasies. We just have to invest in our autonomy to activate it. In being rogue, we’re being revolutionary!

  —Caroline McMenamin, Founder, Replenish: Acting on Mental Health

  You can’t have a more salient and current focus than Rogue Leadership does, given the times we live in. The maelstrom of the modern world—constant online communication, demands of the market, shareholders, and directors—creates pressure for everyone in an organization to perform at a pace on the edge of intolerable. Rogue Leadership offers a lucid path forward to confront the challenges leaders face, together with their employees, to reach their objectives without forfeiting sustainability. All while engaging the team around them and generating a work culture and climate that supports executing objectives and realizing high performance together.

  —Alejandra Sabugo, Gerente de Administracion, CMPC Tissue

  Published in the US by

  Tertia Oculus Business Synergies™

  Address: 4581 Weston Rd. Suite #320 Weston FL 33331 USA

  Email: [email protected]

  Website: www.rosenbergpaul.com

  First published in the US 2019

  Copyright © 2019 by Paul Rosenberg

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used in any form whatsoever without the written permission of the author, except for brief quotations included in critical articles and reviews.

  Rosenberg, Paul

  Rogue Leadership, Harnessing Headwinds to Drive Performance

  ISBN (pbk): 978-0-692-18546-9

  Cover design by Victoria Cooper at thebookcoverdesigner.com

  Book typesetting by Nelly Murariu at pixbeedesign.com

  Disclaimer: The names of some of the individuals have been changed to protect their privacy.

  v3.2

  For Mauge, Pilar, and Fabi

  Mis tres chicas lindas and the loves of my life

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Preface

  Introduction

  PART 1: Embracing Your Intuition

  1: Finding the “One Thing”

  2: Alone Again Naturally

  3: Inner Voice

  4: Decision-Making

  PART 2: Creating New Behaviors

  5: Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

  6: The Action Illusion

  7: Embracing Failure and Risk

  8: A Corporate Myth

  PART 3: Optimizing the Tools of the Trade

  9: Accessorizing Wisely

  10: Training and Development

  11: Models in Fashion

  12: Process Tools and Sirens

  13: Solving the Technology Trap

  PART 4: Managing Change Rogue-Style

  14: Creating Change

  15: Disrupting Disruption

  16: The Mind-Body Connection

  17: Rewiring Complacency for Growth

  18: Stealth Change Management

  19: Crisis Management

  20: Effective Triage

  PART 5: Showing Up with Purpose

  21: Stand-Up Leadership

  22: Getting There by Letting Go

  23: Telling Your Story

  24: Creating Presence and Visibility

  25: Generating Influence

  PART 6: Communicating with Clarity

  26: The Art of Communication

  27: The Tarzan Principle for Simple Communication

  28: Simplify Externals

  PART 7: Leading with Heart

  29: The Power of the Playground

  30: C
reating a Shared Story

  31: Cultivating Partner Leadership

  32: Sustainability

  PART 8: Engaging the Front Line

  33: En Garde

  34: Become the Bandleader

  35: The Gold Mine in Your Backyard

  36: Sparking Your Team

  37: Leadership Assassins

  Epilogue

  The Path to Success

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Nothing is ever done in a vacuum, and this book is no exception.

  I’d first like to thank my colleagues, team members, employees, and clients for teaching me how important it is to listen, take risks, and do things differently, in spite of fears and concerns. The business world continues to be a great classroom, and I’m fortunate to have had many inspiring teachers throughout the years.

  What I have learned in living on almost every continent and working in multiple industries is that the humanity in all of us is the foundation for change and performance, and we each have our unique ways of getting there. If we can do so with heart and have some fun along the way, even better.

  A lot of people leaned in and helped me with their ideas, feedback, and quotes. Too many to name here, but you know who you. I am so grateful for your input and support.

  I had some great role models and teachers growing up. Kati Pressman, my mom, was an author, improv actress, nurse, and all-around rabble rouser. My sister, Hyla, taught me the power of reflection and slowing down. My brother, David, has been a writer since the age of five and an inspiration to me. Howard Rosenberg, my dad, led by taking action for those who had no voice.

  A special shout out to international best-selling author Craig Martelle, who urged me to put pen to paper. To my author friends, thank you for showing me the way. To Jimmy Calano, I appreciate your honesty and frank feedback.

  The global leaders who responded to my personal request for their wisdom and insights: Your contributions have added so much value to this project. You have inspired me.

  Special thanks to my editors who worked tirelessly to help me tell a stronger story, communicate with more clarity, and make the message accessible to more than the voices in my head: twin brother screenwriter/author David Rosenberg for the rough draft and Christian de Quincey for the nitty gritty sentence-by-sentence work.

  A big round of applause for editor and publishing consultant Sandra Jonas, who took the book to the finish line. Without your candid and insightful work, this book would still be ideas waiting on my laptop. Thank you for your patience and insistence that the hard work be done.

  Finally, my thanks to every reader who has picked up this book. I hope that it contributes to your journey in a meaningful and enjoyable way.

  Preface

  On a rainy night in New York in the late ’80s, Pablo, an up-and-coming young manager in the training and conference business, hopped into a cab and shared his ride to the airport with a stranger, who turned out to be an established global businessman. They immediately found common ground in the world of international commerce.

  During their chitchat on the long ride to JFK, the businessman said he had a tip about the next great global opportunity: the Soviet Union. Certain that the markets would open up for the long term under Gorbachev, he seemed confident that astute entrepreneurs would make a killing in this untapped market.

  The young manager got on his flight to Madrid and settled into his travel routine. Later, he thought about what his cab companion had said. That guy might be right, he said to himself, then leaned against the window and dozed off.

  When he landed, he called his boss and recounted what the man had said. “What do you think”?

  “Hate to disappoint you, Pablo, but that’s an impossible pipe dream. It would take a ton of money and effort. It will never happen.”

  Over the next few days, Pablo sought additional feedback from colleagues, and they all expressed the same discouraging view:

  “It’s too far away and a different culture.”

  “It has never been done before, and it would take a long time just to get the door open.”

  “The Soviets control the ruble, an unstable currency.”

  “You don’t speak Russian.”

  “Why take the risk?”

  Pablo decided to seek advice from a friend outside his company. She simply asked him, “What does your gut tell you?”

  “I don’t have a clear grasp of the opportunity,” he said. “But I want to pull the thread and see where this goes.”

  “That’s your answer.”

  Over the next weeks, Pablo mustered the courage to pay a visit to the USSR embassy in Madrid and meet the consul for economic development. The introductory meeting went well. Pablo talked about doing a joint venture on business and marketing training and seminars. The consul expressed interest in the proposal, and they both agreed to be in touch. Nothing more happened for two months.

  One day, Pablo just knew he had to return to the embassy and talk to the consul. His inner voice was quite strong and clear. “Wait here for an hour,” the consul told Pablo when he arrived. “I have press interviews with the chief economic advisor for Gorbachev, one of the architects of perestroika.”

  The consul finally appeared and led Pablo into the garden, where the advisor waited. The three had a private one-hour meeting and discussed training, in particular the emerging need in the USSR for skills in two key areas: marketing and leadership.

  They engaged in robust dialogue: “How can leaders move their organizations to a better place? What keys do leaders use to ensure marketing success? What tangible tools exist for business development?”

  Fast-forward a year, and Pablo was in Moscow. He had listened to his gut and negotiated one of the first joint ventures on marketing training in the former USSR. Over several months, while negotiating the joint venture, he had led a number of workshops on leadership and marketing. Although Pablo’s bosses eventually withdrew from the venture due to a lack of capital, that one taxicab conversation had yielded tangible results.

  In the story above, Pablo is me.

  I learned a lot from those events, as well as from many other business projects over the years and across the globe. Those experiences form the basis of this book. By going against the grain, by listening to my instincts and not following all the experts, and, most importantly, by taking meaningful action, I seized golden opportunities that others merely talked about or completely ignored.

  I also failed—a lot. Each time I failed, I welcomed the lessons and adjusted my course. Over time, I developed a new definition for effective leadership—and acquired valuable tools to last a lifetime.

  Introduction

  Lead Powerfully by Going Rogue

  Despite my many years of coaching, leading transformation, and change management, I am always amazed by how much energy, time, and money are invested in unlocking the enigma of powerful leadership: “What can we add to give us the advantage?” “Where is the next accelerator?” “How can we leap ahead of our competitors?”

  The pace of new technology magnifies this dilemma. The demands of a high-tech world drive us to make faster decisions—we need to process information in a fraction of a second and be agile in how we lead our teams.

  The multitasking options that face most leaders today boggle the mind. Constantly distracted by messages on mobile devices, they have to remain decisive, motivate their teams, align and balance competing demands—all while meeting the challenges of innovation.

  In other words: leaders need to be superheroes (cape optional).

  Many of us tend to look for something “out there”—some Holy Grail—to hang on to as a rock or support. While I firmly believe in getting outside help, the last thirty-plus years have taught me an important lesson: Looking only outward for solutions doesn’t work. I have found that most of
what we need lives right inside us. I call it rogue leadership.

  This type of leadership involves acting—proacting not reacting—in strategic, meaningful, and purposeful ways. It also often involves taking the road less traveled and challenging the status quo.

  TAKING CONTROL BY LETTING GO

  “Decisive” leaders take action. But “effective” leaders, those who inspire their teams, focus on taking the right action, not just responding. Unfortunately, many of today’s leaders act too quickly, showing little regard for how their actions will play out. Successful leaders, on the other hand, evaluate how their decisions will affect the system as a whole—and then they act.

  We need effective, not decisive leadership.

  I realize this might seem counterintuitive, but letting go of the need to respond, even for a moment, gives us more time for clarity and focus, as well as for reflection.

  This book outlines how to develop a new leadership mindset and demonstrates the connection between that mindset and performance. First and foremost, this path begins by “going within” to find and use the tools we all have inside: the innate wisdom, accessed through intuition, that no external process or model can provide. The path also involves throwing away old paradigms and assumptions to create more powerful results.

  I want to be clear: I do not reject or deny that external solutions can have value. But if the solution doesn’t arise from within, true and deep change will not occur. What you as a leader personally bring to your team and organization—as well as what they bring to you—makes the difference.

  “Insight” means “internal vision.” Some of the best leaders in history had well-developed gut instincts. Take, for example, John F. Kennedy and his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Leaders like JFK take risks, innovate in spite of resistance and ridicule, and see beyond what others consider “normal.” We use phrases such as “she sees the big picture” or “he is a visionary,” which imply that people have the ability to see beyond what lies in front of them. You need such insight to succeed as a leader.

  Leadership at Sony Corporation provides another good example. In the ’60s, the slogan “Made in Japan” indicated poor quality and cheap goods. Sony’s leaders had vision, and they decided to change that reputation by building a business empire based on high standards. Collectively and individually, they saw something beyond the obvious and immediate.