Catapulting Change: Mindful Leadership To Launch Organizations and People

By Albert Collu

Catapulting Change identifies a myriad of opportunities left on the table far too often as similar patterns and trends emerge exposing gaps in leadership that systematically disarm individual talent, passion, and drive from those who possess these qualities in abundance. Leaders stunt their organizations by converting individuals desirous of delivering greatness into individuals stripped of their spirit and passion, reducing them to deliver "just enough" to meet the minimum requirements of the jobs but never more. They are hard-boiled down to mediocrity.

Catapulting Change delves into the grander themes of Leadership, Communication, Change Management, Incentive Programs, and more, to simultaneously launch organizations and people. While these appear to be largely aimed at organizations, they are vital for those travelling down the entrepreneurial path and for those seeking to enhance their businesses. The book delivers warning shots, contemplations, and experiences about the fine balance between managing people and success. Along with these major concepts, the book sheds light on tangible "little things" that will drum up reader frustration because of their relevancy and poignancy. It dispenses with the cliché, but offers tactics to help navigate through organizations while provoking thought to overcome and modify unnecessary trends. It calls attention to the power and might of details as they are often discounted as insignificant variables in a formula of quintessential leadership that drives a culture of consensus, collaboration, and coordination. There is a strong demand for communication, execution, and the like, but often organizations fall quite short of expectations. Attrition of talent is the direct result as people feel unappreciated, undervalued, and not respected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Aug 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9780228829676

Albert Collu

Albert Collu completed his Bachelor of Commerce at York University in Toronto, Ontario, his Leadership program at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and his Strategic Change Management program at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. In addition to Founding and building a successful company from start-up phase to acquisition phase, Albert has enjoyed several organizational leadership roles with a track record of moving businesses from shrinking and flat stages to growth phases through effective change management strategies.Albert is recognized as an insightful and knowledgeable leader who has made many live appearances in media outlets and has been quoted in other periodicals regarding material developments in the marketplace. Albert is also recognized for his talents to effectively take the stage as an articulate and engaging speaker that possesses an uncanny ability to convert complex subject matter into salient and easy to understand terms for attendees. When asked about his most prized accomplishments Albert is quick to state that his family is the most important of all these.

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Catapulting Change

Copyright © 2020 by Albert Collu

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-2966-9 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-2965-2 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-2967-6 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: What Is Leadership?

Chapter 2: The Little Things

Chapter 3: Are We Listening?

Chapter 4: Headwinds

Chapter 5: Change Management

Chapter 6: Rotting Carrots

Chapter 7: Warning Shots

Chapter 8: The Allure of Equity

Chapter 9: Leaders Lead

Appendix I

Appendix II

About the Author

This book is dedicated to:

My wife and son without whom my success and joy derived therein would be unrealized and empty.

Introduction

I was seriously contemplating a career change while writing this book. Mounting aggravation with key stakeholders who refused (whether knowingly or not) to make meaningful change in areas that were well within their control was becoming untenable. Even though I consistently brought these areas — communication, responsiveness, execution and the like — to their attention, it was like talking to a brick wall.

In this book, I will share first-hand accounts of so many things gone wrong and so many opportunities left on the table across far too many organizations that had the ability to be something more both in terms of financial performance and social responsibility. These organizations demonstrated similar patterns and trends that inevitably exposed gaps in leadership that manifested in a systematic disarmament of individual talent, passion, and drive from those that possessed these qualities in abundance. These leaders stunted their organizations by converting individuals desirous of delivering greatness into individuals stripped of their spirit and passion. They forced them to deliver just enough to meet the minimum requirements of the jobs but never more.

They were hard-boiled down to mediocrity.

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of founding and building a successful business from start-up to acquisition, as well as the privilege of holding roles ranging from CEO to directing a number of C-level managers as direct reports from separate organizations. This has provided a solid vantage point to look up, down, and across organizations to recognize trends along the way as I made the climb up the proverbial corporate ladder from middle management to senior management to executive management. These experiences pushed me to be introspective. I am acutely aware that this knowledge is subjective and does not necessarily reflect the culture and behaviour of great leaders and outstanding organizations, but these are not the intended audiences — or perhaps they are if they are looking for reaffirmation that they are doing it right. I’ve had the great fortune of working with organizations and leaders that were the absolute anthesis of poor leadership who achieved incredible success by having a clear vision that was catapulted by treating individuals as valued assets above all else. Upon reflection it is clear that these types of leaders are more the exception than the norm. These perspectives and experiences magnify the deficiencies of the organizations and leaders this book ultimately focuses on.

That all said, this book is not to be mistaken as a manifesto of my own infallible leadership. Quite the contrary. I have and will continue to make imperfect decisions in all facets of my life. I’m a human being riddled with the human condition. I understand and accept that I must continue to modify my approaches, but I am ever more committed to learn from each experience and to emerge as the best leader and individual I can possibly be, knowing that perfection will never be attained and criticism will always be bountiful. I do not proport to live in a glass house or to be leader of purity. When I was in relatively full control of my environment and organization I made countless mistakes and errors in judgement for every proper and sound decision I made. Good decision-making came more frequently as I gained experience, recalibrated strategy (in as much as I could), reduced the fear to cut out toxic performers, and reaffirmed that at the heart of every successful organization are great people at all levels. As such, adjusting our moral compasses to have the best interests of these people and their families in mind at all times can only serve to make us better leaders and, most importantly, better human beings.

Moral leadership and strong profitability are not mutually exclusive. Too often, organizational leaders overlook the essence of this simple notion and believe that people hinder their profits as opposed to seeing people as the catalysts to greater profitability. While I have now drawn a line in the sand on the basis of what is proper and ethical, upon reflection I regret some decisions I supported earlier in my career. I knew they were not the right decisions financially (at least not in the long-term) or socially but, like most people, I was proud of the titles I held, and I grew dependent on the comfortable income.

Those positions were sources of immense pride because they symbolized the achievements earned after years of hard work, commitment, and the unwavering support of my family. Real success is shaped by the depth of feeling that you did something special for, and with, the many great people around you. Time and experience have taught me that it’s not necessarily what you do, it’s who you do it with that’s important. That all said, it was easier to go with the grain of organizational decisions than against so I could protect that income and take care of what is most important: my family.

It wasn’t just the income trap at play. As I achieved more responsible roles, I fell victim to the heavy influence shareholders and boards of directors (BOD) had on my day-to-day operations and decision-making. I was blinded by the illusion of empowerment and pushed towards the constant pursuit of profits at all costs. This illusion is a funny thing. As one rises in organizational hierarchy to flashy roles like president, CEO, etc., we seemingly earn more authority and autonomy only to realize that we actually have far less than we ever imagined. A respected friend and colleague once imparted a simple but incredibly real notion that the world becomes greyer and less black and white as we rise through the ranks. This is not negatively connotated. It simply means that as we move up the hierarchal structure, decisions are more impactful to so many more that it requires great care to move through the grey. Decisions impact a larger number of people as you learn more and are exposed to the brutal toxins of the true motivations of shareholders and BODs (profit with little to no regard for the people that drive those profits). In their view, profits only have commas and decimals, not names.

This comment may bring a deafening ring like a lightning bolt hitting a tin roof, but don’t mistake me for a not-for-profit evangelist. I’m abundantly aware that there are moments in which organizations are faced with the real need for restructuring to maximize organizational efficiencies. It’s an unfortunate inevitability of business, and I have supported such measures. I am also not suggesting that every BOD and shareholder are the devil incarnate. There are numerous investors, shareholders, BODs, and executives that I’ve had the pleasure of working with that believe in doing business the right way and valuing their people as key assets. Unfortunately, they are also the exception rather than the norm. I’m as much a capitalist as the next with a keen eye on driving profits and achieving long-term success — this is deeply entrenched in my DNA — but not at all costs.

I take great pleasure from capitalizing with great people but take no joy from capitalizing on people. There is a difference. The former is fulfilling and transformative while the latter is empty and exploitive. With that in mind, one should be very wary of people who ferociously declare themselves as pure capitalists. It’s another way of saying people are secondary to the bottom line. Success can be achieved — nay, accelerated and catapulted — with moral and ethical leadership that insulates profits, its people, and their families, while producing a product or service that is responsible and superior in the market.

If you thirst for a book that provides empirical evidence supported by a scientific approach, then Catapulting Change will not quench that thirst. This book is absent of any mathematical epiphanies, ignores objectivity, and is not largely predicated on quantifiable or qualitative data produced through rigorous methodology. It does, however, furnish the reader with fascinating findings derived from employee and marketplace surveys that illuminate many of my views, experiences, and observations. Naturally, one can argue that observing, identifying, and documenting trends over several years can be empirical, but I don’t want to mislead you into believing this book is cemented in the findings of a scientific approach. Certainly, there is much to be written about in the academia of business, but without many of the smaller and seemingly trivial elements to bind these formal concepts together, our ability to effectively lead and operate a business is subpar. This book complements the formalities of business training with those seemingly trivial elements that are often overlooked and highly underestimated. In fact, they are infrequently contemplated. We should not underestimate their power.

If you are looking for a perspective predominantly based on experiences and observations, then fill your cup. However, a strong caution to the reader: Catapulting Change is chock-full of biases, emotions, and the human condition; it dispenses with objectivity and at times inserts the odd digression. The aim of this book is to share an honest point of view from the weeds about the fine balance organizations teeter on when managing people and success.

This is easier said than done.

Writing this book was not without challenge. Each chapter could be books of their own, but they provide solid forays into critical concepts. With that in mind, the larger focus of this book is on organizations and organizational leaders, but it was important to balance the offering of macro level perspectives for organizational leaders while offering a micro level balancing point of view for individuals to consider. Too often we view ourselves as powerless and incapable of influencing or making change whether be it in the workplace or in our personal lives. As a result, the lines begin to blur and individuals may develop a sense of defeatism and apathy — a sort of it’s everyone else and not me syndrome coupled with a pattern of I’m not able to do anything about it so I’m simply going to stop trying. There are many moments of personal biases piercing through the words of this book that manifest themselves in sharp criticisms of organizations and leaders but let’s use this as an opportunity to declare that sometimes it’s not the organization.

It’s us. It’s the individual. It’s me. It’s you.

After all, is it not true that we all make up an organization? A group? A family? We may not want to hear that it may be us, but if you journey through this book with an open mind and a concerted effort to be self-reflective (as difficult as that is to do), I’m hopeful you will stumble upon a small nugget or a large epiphany that helps you make meaningful change.

With that in mind, leaders are interchangeable with individuals. Great leadership is not a concept relegated to the workplace but also relevant to our personal lives. Although this book was not motivated by isolating individuals per se, it was difficult to separate the individual from the organization because they are often extremely dependent on each other.

The aim of this book is to encourage individuals and organizations to raise new questions and challenge themselves in ways they may not have otherwise. In doing so, perhaps it will help individuals evade the allures of hidden traps while motivating organizational leaders to take an introspective exercise of closely examining the manner in which they approach their people and how they define success. The openness and willingness to ask ourselves difficult questions empowers us to modify our approach as leaders in our day-to-day interactions with staff, colleagues, customers, friends, or family. There will be no shortage of critics to argue this book is an exposé about my personal deficiencies, vulnerabilities, and my idiosyncrasies rather than an exposé about how frequently organizations, leaders, and individuals conduct themselves in a less than ideal manner at their own peril. Some will scoff at the content herein because it is easier to chastise than it is to be open-minded and introspective. We are better served to pay mind to how we can positively or adversely impact those around us. If this book is a catalyst for positive change, I will heartily embrace the criticism.

Chapter 1: What Is Leadership?

I attended a seven-day course for executives at a respected university where we dedicated twelve hours per day to tackling this topic. We talked about the value of personality tests, transactional leadership vs. transformational leadership, management by objectives, read excerpts from various periodicals about Nelson Mandela’s impact on people, case studied poor performing companies — on and on. These exercises improved me tactically when returning to the workplace, but as interesting and educational as they were, they reside in the arena of management approaches and tactics rather than providing a crisp definition of leadership. In fact, they may have added more smog to my line of sight when I thought I finally had the definition of leadership in my purview. If defining leadership wasn’t difficult enough, gaining a clear understanding of how to go about leading change management is