My husband Mike was the Mayor of Southern Pines at the early age of 32.  He served for two terms, and he has been politically active since that time.  He is now somewhat of a sage.  People from all political parties and all sides of issues walk in and out of his office throughout the week to get his advice on a variety of topics.  Why him?  Because he knows where the land mines are.

In leadership, developing political savvy is a must.  Otherwise, you run the risk of being governed by your followers.  While I am a huge fan of self directed leadership, at the end of the day, someone high at the top has to have the credibility, trust and integrity to make tough decisions, and this comes from being able to navigate complex political situations with finesse.

It is not uncommon for leaders to shy away from corporate or community politics, and in my opinion, this is just being naive or just plain stupid.   Politically savvy leaders know to operate well behind the scenes, who the key players are and how to engage those key players with integrity so that they get on board.  A politically savvy leader also knows where the land mines are, and they walk gingerly around them.    A politically savvy leader never plays favorites, but he or she knows exactly what to say and when to say it and understands that working the political system is like walking through a maze…you eventually get to the result, but it is confusing and strategic at each and every turn.

If you are someone who is politically savvy, congratulations.  If not, I highly recommend the book Political Savvy by Joel  DeLuca.  The book offers a political mapping technique that is simple but so effective.  Just remember…knowing where the land mines are and knowing how to navigate the political system in your organization are half the battle!

Fascinating things happen when you step away from the business.  I was recently forced to step away from The Table this week to care for an ill parent, and in doing so, I learned three important lessons as a leader:

1. The company functions quite well without me. Nice job team!

2. Removing me from the picture gave some division directors freedom to step up in greater ways, and also forced clients to get their answers from other team members, which strengthens their relationships with those team members.

3. Being away helped the business to highlight aspects that were not functioning smoothly and needed attention.

Number 3 is what I am going to discuss here. As the leader, one thing I often do is work magic to cover up a mess.  Meaning that I step in and solve immediate problems, as opposed to the system creating new solutions that will work with or without me in the picture.  This week the issue has been our online store.  We are new in the shopping cart arena.   Our clients spend a good amount of money with us and at the end of the day, we need to be able to sell their books.  Our online store has a 95% positive user experience rating.  But 5% of the time, people are having problems processing their orders, either due to a compatibility issue with our cart, or them entering incorrect information.  Either way, we need to address errors on our part and also help to educate our book buyers on how to best input their information to arrive at the desired outcome.

You would think this would be a rather easy solution, but carts can be incredibly complex in how they interact with customers. Seeing this issue come to a head while I was gone is forcing us to make some decisions. What we are going to be doing is hiring a consultant (if anyone knows a good shopping cart consultant, please have them contact me asap at corey@writersoftheroundtable.com), and we will also be cross testing the applications on multiple browsers and versions whenever we make changes.  Is this costly?  Absolutely.  We’ll probably invest a small fortune.  Will it be worth it?  Absolutely.  As we add titles to our list, that 5%, over time, will be incredibly valuable revenue.

More importantly, our clients will see from our actions that we respect that they are working hard for every sale opportunity.  There is nothing like busting your butt to make the sale only to find that the system cannot process it.  We often only have one chance to make the sale. Some might say that 95% is good enough.  I say, anything less than 98% is unacceptable.

There will always be issues that make a system imperfect, but it is that attention to detail that makes all the difference.  Sometimes, only in stepping away can you come back to a clearer picture.

With leadership comes great responsibility: The responsibility for revenues, the responsibility for people, the responsibility for public image, and the list goes on and on. And, it is not uncommon for many leaders to over-manage in an effort to get things done.

If you are someone who has a challenge with over-control, the first question is to look closely at why this is happening. Take this quick quiz, and answer “yes” or “no.”

1) I over-manage, because I am way too busy to communicate with my team.

2) I over-manage, because I am the only one who can get things done the right way.

3) I over-manage, because I am impatient.

4) I over-manage, because I don’t trust other people.

5) I over-manage, because I am a control freak.

6) I over-manage, because I feel guilty about giving people too much work.

7) I over-manage, because my board is breathing down my neck.

8)I over-manage, because I am impatient…I want the job done NOW!

9) I over-manage, because I don’t have the money to pay for great talent.

10) I over- manage, because I am afraid to make a mistake.

It is not uncommon for a meddling leader to have not jut one but several of these challenges. Once you decide which of the above are your big challenges, there are opportunities for coaching on each and every one, and they begin with your own behavior. If any of these challenges resonate with the pains you are feeling as a leader, shoot me an e-mail to bea@edge-book.com. I am happy to meet with you for 15 minutes to talk through your challenges to see what types of solutions may be available.

David Cook has been my favorite Idol for the last 6 weeks or so.  I was not the biggest fan in the beginning.  He seemed to get defensive when Simon gave him feedback, and he came across as a bit arrogant.  But as time went on, this Gen Y man grew into a leader.

I love watching someone grow, and enjoy learning the leadership lessons I observe during that growth period.  These lessons are leadership behaviors we can all learn from and live by.

1) David Cook is authentic.  He stayed true to his personality throughout the competition.  Not one time did he try to be something he wasn’t.

2) He took risks.  Cook took songs from decades ago and made them hip and relevant to today’s marketplace.  There were several times when I could hear the songs he sang being played in a movie soundtrack (and to me, that is a true test of relevancy…I don’t know why I think that, I just do.)

3) As time moved on, David Cook stepped up and showed that he has a tough skin.  He began taking the criticism dished out (especially by Simon who was particularly tough on Cook,) and he worked with that criticism and improved each week.

4) During last night’s final show, David was showing up like a leader.  He had a presence that showed his maturity, and he truly “owned” the stage.  But…not one time did he try to overshadow David Archuleta.  He shared the stage with him and gave him equal “stage power.”

5) He showed his vulnerability.  It is tough for a rocker to stand on a stage and shed tears, but Cook let them flow (as he should!)  Showing raw emotion is tough for leaders.  They think in some way that it makes them weak or soft.  The opposite is actually the case.  By showing raw emotion, you make a connection with your audience.

6) Finally…David Cook made the hair on my arms and on the back of my neck stand up.  He touches people, and I think most would agree with me.  His passion and inspiration are so critical for leaders of today.  And…he’s just darn cool!

Congratulations, and best of luck to you in the future. Watch below as he hears the news and then sings the winning song Time of My Life (great song!)

Each year, Seagate Technology spends $2 million for 200 employees to spend a week hiking, kayaking, and adventure racing in the mountains of New Zealand. Is it worth it?

If you doubt that an  outdoor team building activity can improve your company, read this article by Jeffrey O’Brien of Fortune Mag.