It all started when I was 16 years old.  I had already been doing part-time work the previous three years troubleshooting those terrible US Robotics 9600 modems at the University of Windsor, IT Dept.  You can call me a geek, but I’ve always loved technology.  I received my A+ Certification (not sure if that even exists anymore) at 15, and when Windows NT 3 or 4 came out, Microsoft had introduced their MCSE certification.  So, when most teenagers were enjoying their Summer vacation, I was sitting in a classroom learning about the wonders of TCP/IP, networking essentials and packet sniffing.  I was definitely the youngest person in class, and when I finished the cert. probably youngest in Canada.  Now that’s what I call grassroots adoption of a technology stack, haha.

In University

I still marveled the Microsoft story.  However, when I started building products in University, the open source community seemed like the perfect fit.  At the time, specifically in academia, geeks and some part of the tech world considered it cool to hate everything that came out of the Microsoft campus.  This was a very Orwellian realization, you are allowed to be successful to a point, after which everyone hates your success (this will also happen to Facebook, you’ll see).  Because Microsoft is so large and complex,  it is hard to generalize. I still don’t think it’s healthy for Microsoft to have 90% of desktop OS market, just the same way Google controls 90% of the web search market. But, success achieved by organizations from their original innovations makes it difficult for it to be innovative and creative in the future (see Innovator’s Dilemma).  So, just making incremental improvements to existing ways of doing things just doesn’t cut it any more in today’s market anyways.

What I Care About

From its CEO, to its massively popular operating system, Microsoft doesn’t always exude the cool, hip style of Apple.  From a consumer perspective, yes I guess that matters, but as an entrepreneur, how does that help my business succeed?

Launching a startup business is one of the hardest things anyone can ever do. I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of some good and not so good ventures.  I can certainly attest to one thing, Microsoft has always impressed me with their seamless continuum of care it offers to their partners.  A business needs the most support during their grassroots stage, and since WhyHire.me joined the BizSpark program, @cbeauclair and the IT audience marketing team have been instrumental in helping us seed what will grow into a great Canadian success story and ultimately, will help thousands of students kickstart their career.

I Conclude With A Salute

Microsoft technologies have most assuredly changed the way I innovate and have enabled me to accomplish things that 15 years ago I never dreamed I’d accomplish.  It seems that the age-old trend to criticize everything “MSFT” is on the decline and that they are now on the right track in the consumer technology space, and their unrelenting commitment to support their partner ecosystem, still never ceases to amaze me.

So, even after 15 years, I continue to salute Microsoft.

Oh, I almost forgot, just so I’m clear. I still absolutely hate Internet Explorer 6, and that weird Microsoft Trackball thing.

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.” – Bernard M. Baruch

I want you to do a quick mental exercise. Think about your conversations over the past six (6) months, but only focus on the individuals that consistently gave you their full, undivided attention.  Take a few moments.  These individuals were genuinely interested in what you had to say.  They made you feel like each conversation you had with them, at that particular moment, was their only priority.  In my case, I could only think of a handful, but these individuals certainly did have one obvious commonality — they are all great listeners.

Listening is an Acquired Art

Distinct from hearing, which is innate, listening is an acquired art — and a very strategic one at that. Listening is both fact-finding and intelligence-gathering from clients, customers, stakeholders, and the employees who are on the front lines of the marketplace.  Yet, it is priceless to the person to whom you are listening, and the skill is absolutely essential for you, as manager and as an individual, both in your professional and your personal life, to be truly effective.

Being a good listener actually attracts people to you. Everyone likes talking with someone who makes them feel heard. The more people who are willing to speak with you, open up with you, the more opportunities (social opportunities, life opportunities, work opportunities, etc.) will come your way.  Good listeners have a competitive advantage: they get promotions, they are more frequently selected for leadership positions, and they are often better informed because of their ability to build trust.

Listening Aids Customer Experience

When customers feel listened to, valued, and important to a company, it’s rare. That’s because great service and effective communication are more than a set of skills. It’s a cultural mind-set of respect and accountability where you do what you say you’re going to do for the customer.  Zappos truly models that mind-set, and it’s part of the reason that their customer experience is so exemplary.

Lastly, it is always necessary to remember that the purpose of listening is to understand; it is not intended just for the sake of being able to answer or reply to someone. Therefore, one must always be open to the ideas and information being conveyed, and avoid the tendency to make assumptions and generalizations.  With that being said, listening is, and will continue to be, the language of leaders.

Dr. Stephen Covey, mentioned in the video below that, when you “really listen to another, in-depth, until they feel understood, you are communicating their worth, their potential”.  People appreciate, respect and value others who are great listeners.  I know I certainly do.

If you had tried to convince people ten years ago that the most successful MP3 player today would have fewer buttons and less functionality, not more, you would have been dismissed as a fool.

But the iPod proved the masses, not you, wrong. The iPod’s runaway success, was the first example of how Apple’s strikingly simple interfaces challenged the accepted norm of conventional product design in their markets.  The click wheel came as a complete surprise to MP3 enthusiasts, and its simple perfection quickly established the iPod as the top player in the market.

Being an engineer, trying to do something perfectly often leads to doing it poorly or not at all. On the other hand, the conventional wisdom of “how-it’s-done” is sometimes just plain wrong.  In today’s digital economy, you can almost make your applications more competitive simply by re-thinking and de-cluttering them. In many cases, the key is to do less, but do it better.

A question recently posted on Quora asked “where do most web startups fail”, Mark MacLeod noted in his response that “failure to build a truly compelling user experience is a big culprit.”  If an interface looks familiar but doesn’t act like it is expected to, users might simply dismiss it as broken.  It’s true.  Unless your application is absolutely essential, users will give up on it if the experience is too complicated.  There is a delicate balance between the simplicity of use and the complexity of usefulness.  But it is true the product that is clear in its purpose, elegant in its execution and simple in its use will set itself apart from the competition and endear itself to the user.

John Maeda’s First Law of Simplicity states: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. Refinement that is thoughtful, calculated, and whenever possible and appropriate, based on data is one of the fundamental tools of any interaction designer.  Remember, always thinking about the simplest way to do the most complex business is a great way to pave a path to success.

Achieve success by modeling yourself after professionals with integrity.

While many intuitively understand the meaning of core values, a solid definition is vital to this discussion. By their very definitions, “core” means that it’s at the center, while “values” is defined as our beliefs.  Core values are the beliefs that are at the center of who we are and define us both as individuals and professionals. They are the critical, intangible essentials that bring continuity and meaning to life. The anchors that support all we do and define who we are. Both people and organizations have values and they need to be shared values. When individual and organizational values conflict, you can expect a crippling impact to one or both.

In today’s digital economy, we live in an era of relative values, where right is determined by what advances my interests.  That is completely in contrast to the core values we aspire to and what my parents instilled in me.  Core values are your bedrock, despite whether it’s good times or turbulent times, core values are your guidepost, your beacon, the means by which you always know what to do because you are guided by that unchangeable, unwaverable set of core values.  That’s why they’re important.  To help you navigate turbulent times whether on a personal or organizational level.

But values don’t just appear, and we don’t assimilate them overnight.  They develop and evolve over the course of a lifetime.  You may see them on the wall of a building or read them in the pages of a book, but it takes time for them to move from the wall or the page to your heart.  And that happens in large part through mentoring.

When you think of your life’s work, be sure that your personal values are compatible with the organization’s values and that the organization’s published values match their actual values.  It’s then that you have a healthy relationship, one in which you can grow and prosper over a lifetime or over even a career.

A mentor is an individual who advises and challenges you to do your best on both a personal and professional level. Everyone needs a mentor.  Yes, everyone.  As a child, your parents, grandparents or someone close filled that role.  When you entered higher education, your classmates, professors and perhaps an alumni or two filled that role.  When you graduate and move into your life’s work, someone within the organization will likely fill that role.  Mentors come in all shapes and sizes, and they come from all walks of life.  The quality of mentors differs, so it’s important to choose your mentors wisely.

Unless you put everything you have into your pursuits; your mind, your body, your total dedication .. what is life worth? The quality of life is in direct proportion to your commitment to excellence.

- Vince Lombardi, Legendary football figure

The strong leader, the one surrounded by smart people, believes you not only hire smart people, but also you build smart people and then unleash their capabilities. You do this because you believe in your heart and know that when the team succeeds, there’s enough credit to go around for everybody. That’s a sense of selflessness.

That sense of selflessness when acting as a mentor stems from knowing that you can’t look for the big payback, the “what’s in it for me.” Because the highest compliment that can ever be paid to you as a mentor will never occur in your presence. That moment occurs when the next generation’s leader, the one you worked with, faces his or her own crisis and seeks wisdom in the silent chambers of the soul and asks, “how would my mentor have handled this?”

Mentoring isn’t about the “old boys” club. It’s about helping people grow and think for themselves. It’s an opportunity to connect with the past and contribute to the future. It’s about seeking out all of tomorrow’s bright, young leaders and helping them navigate the path that lies ahead. 

During this time, find wise mentors to learn and grow from, while at the same time developing your own mentoring abilities.

Take a step back and decide which values you require in your life. Then observe the path that your potential mentor has taken to achieve success. Being able to rely on individuals who will share their experience with you is invaluable for you to establish a strong foundation upon which to build.

“For a company to achieve the desired result, it’s culture – what people think and do – must be aligned with the result.” – Roger Connors, Author of The Oz Principle

Rock climber Yvon Chouinard is credited with making Patagonia one of the most remarkable sportswear companies in the world. His vision drove a corporate culture of environmental activism that is chronicled in the book Let My People Go Surfing. 

TOMS Shoes, is looking to revolutionize how we look at corporate culture in the future. They are championing the idea that a company can sell a quality product, be profitable, and give back to those in need.  I can only hope that they will inspire other companies to do the same.  In the picture on the right, Zappos defined its company’s culture via ten core values and each year they even publish a “Culture Book”.

Decisions.. Decisions..
So, what does it take to create the right kind of culture?

How can you maintain that culture? During the process of defining your corporate values, you must align your culture with ethics.  It’s important to recognize that business leaders will encounter dilemmas in their decision-making process when values collide. For instance, on what do leaders base their decision when no matter what they decide, the outcome may have undesired consequences? It is important to stress immediately that there is no single and universally accepted rule, or set of rules, that one can use. However, as a general rule-of-thumb on whether a particular decision, option or course of action is ethically acceptable, leaders can ask themselves if the intended action is consistent with the accepted values, strategy, and history of the company.

To make it easier, I’ve put together a quick five-stage process for ethical decision-making.

1. Perceive the problem and consider the obligation to act.

2. Evaluate the problem (that is, what are the issues, what are the facts?).

3. Make a decision (choose the best option with due consideration for the rules, values, consequences, and care for others).

4. Implement and accept responsibility for the decision.

5. Monitor and adjust.

The first stage is certainly the most important. If leaders do not perceive an ethical dilemma or problem, then they will not attempt to address or solve it. Once the problem has been perceived, the leader must spend some time evaluating it and exploring various solutions, and only then make and implement a decision. Employees always need to be current on what the companies problems are and then constantly encouraged to help solve them.

Creating the right company culture is hard but invaluable.  A business is all about making decisions, good or bad, those decision will effect how your company is perceived both internally and externally.  High performance culture where employees get great feelings of:  significance, connection and certainty will serve to unify and energize the company and its employees.

Remember, your culture is your brand and the bottom line of a business is its people.  The decisions you make, must be consistent with your corporate values.

Is it fair to say that one of the main reasons that our societies today are at once so palpably unsustainable and socially  unjust, is that we have fallen into the trap of traditional “old boys club” masculine behaviour and values? Is this true?  Well, I certainly do think so.  So, that means one of the highest priority tasks of the sustainability movement is to bring in many more women into leadership positions.  However, women today face several challenges that tend diminish their natural leadership abilities in order climb the corporate ladder, so to speak.

Below is an article my sister put together for her Woman in IT Leadership group

She provides a unique perspective on 5 specific challenges that women may face while trying to advance their career.

To me, leadership equals inspiration, delegation, collaboration, influence, respect, knowledge, and continual learning, the ability to:

-Inspire my team and those around me to be enthusiastic and engaged in moving toward a common goal

-Delegate to and trust my team

-Collaborate and share knowledge so that my team and those around me have opportunities for growth – to fill my shoes

-Influence the influencers

- Respect others and earn their respect

- Know when to lead and when to get out of the way

- Make continual learning part of my leadership journey

What is different about women in leadership?  Or leadership in a technology field? Or both?

Women often have a taller mountain to climb to advance their careers in the technology industry as there are few women role models they can strive to emulate. Even as natural leaders, many women often do not know that they are leaders or they don’t know how to climb the rungs of the tech ladder to leadership positions. Those that have often mark the sacrifices they have made to get there, both professional and personal, and you often hear that they had to “fit” into a male IT world to advance.

One of the great qualities of women leaders is that they often tend to cultivate relationships through collaboration and team-building, with less emphasis on hierarchy and status.

What are specific challenges that women in technology leadership face?

1) The “too-nice” challenge — you get taken advantage of by supervisors and your team because you always apologize even when it’s not your fault and you let rules be broken continually

2) The “door always closed” challenge – you’re so deep in your work that you don’t take a moment to check how those around you are doing only to realize that they’ve all left

3)The “claws are out” challenge – you show strength of character and authority and instead of earning respect for your decisiveness and directness, you get the tiger cat call

4) The “burn-out” challenge — you say yes to everything and everyone, and before you know it you don’t have time to eat or sleep

5) The “gone fishing” challenge — you are away for an extended period and come back to work only to find out that an opportunity has passed or the re-learning curve takes a long time to get back into the swing of things

What are specific skills or personal development to arm yourself for the future in technology leadership?

Negotiation skills and conflict resolution are critical skills for career advancement, and having the ability to manage remote and multifunctional teams using technology as a tool for communication is becoming evermore prevalent and essential.

If you enjoyed this article or have some comments, please send them my way – I’m always more than interested in hearing from you.

One of my biggest challenges is that I don’t sleep enough, and thankfully it’s neither insomnia nor any chronic sleep conditions.   Over the past few years and the launch of some good and not-so-good ventures,  my wake-up time has typically been 5:00AM (no matter how late I’ve gone to sleep).  For me, I place my business towards the top of my daily priorities.  Work, play, exercise and innovating daily is tiring.  One of my good colleagues is a doctor, and she recommended that I apply one simple rule to give myself more personal time each month.  I listened to her and tried it, and as a result I have established a healthy routine, slept much better and most importantly, became much more productive.

The 3-2 Work/Relax Rule

This simple rule has really become one of my favourite things to follow every month.  It’s simple, because it forces you to shut down and relax routinely.  Monday to Friday, ensure that you stop ALL work related activities by 5PM, 3 times per week – no cellphone, no emails .. just relax.   2 weekends per month, do the same.  Even for the busiest professionals, this still leaves you with 2 days per week to work as late as you want, and 2 weekends per month to dedicate to working on your business.  In the past, I never had a relax regime, so for the most part, I never shut down and I was always on .. this rule forces me to take a certain amount of personal time each month and it seems to work for me.

When it comes down to it, getting the sleep that you need is critically important to your company’s current and future success.  To take care of your business, don’t forget to take care of yourself first!  Make personal time routine, many of you have already mastered this — but if you haven’t, try applying the 3-2 Work/Relax Rule each month.