This slide deck covers some of the many mistakes I have made when working with leadership in general, and with UNBOSS in particular. Mistakes contain opportunities for feedback, and I try to grasp everyone of them with that in mind. Sometimes you win; sometimes you learn.

1. Six Mistakes I Have Made
Learnings from leadership engagements
30-Mar-2015
Erik Korsvik Østergaard, Partner, Bloch&Østergaard I/S
Because going to work should be nice, great, and awesome

2. 2
Learn from my mistakes
This slide deck covers some of the many mistakes I have
made when working with leadership in general, and with
UNBOSS in particular.
Mistakes contain opportunities for feedback, and I try to
grasp everyone of them with that in mind.
Sometimes you win; sometimes you learn.
© Erik Korsvik Østergaard 2015, but please distribute and reuse
All pictures are from Unsplash

3. Too
much
Too
impatient
Too
rigid
Too
fluffy
Too
local
Too
literal *)
*) specifically for UNBOSS

4. Too much
Mistake no. 1
Initiating everything at the same
time, being too ambitious

5. Too much
Sometimes you get eager
and engage in too many
activities and elements at
the same time.
Maybe the situation
really does call both for
the introduction of
purpose, for focus on
empowerment, as well as
for situational leadership
– but in some cases it’s
simply way too much for
the organisation to
comprehend and grasp at
once.
You are performing
organisational changes.
You are dealing with
years and years of habits
and culture. Changes take
time, and if you change
too much too fast, the
organisation will drown in
it, and it will backfire.
You need to introduce
the elements one by one,
giving the employees and
organisation time to
change those habits one
by one.
Try to find the one or two
elements, that are most
requested or needed, or
gives the best effect.
After seeing the effect,
inspect and apply the
next element.

6. Too impatient
Mistake no. 2
Giving up too soon, not allowing
the organisation to let it sink in
and actually benefit from it

7. Too impatient
You got the bright idea.
You got the support from
management to engage.
And you have launched
your leadership
programme, just as you
designed it
… But the effect is missing
or only slowly showing in a
few places.
It’s easy to be impatient,
disappointed and
frustrated.
You made a commitment to
the management group,
and now the blame-game
and explanations start.
Either you or the
management group thinks
about cancelling the project
in order to minimise the
lost investment or to avoid
to lose face.
Maybe you are right – or
maybe you did initiate the
wrong things, and it is time
to adjust approach.
Or, maybe it’s just because
changes take time.
Revisit the business case
and the reasoning for
engagement, and reassure
yourself (and the
management group) that
you’re doing the right thing.
Perform some employee
interviews to see how the
initiatives are received. Use
the feedback as input for
communication, mentoring
and re-training.
Leadership programmes
take between 3 and 24
months to create effect.
Be patient.

8. Too rigid
Mistake no. 3
Assuming that one size fits all, and
that your ideas are perfect and
cannot benefit from adjustment

9. Too rigid
You designed it – so
naturally it is perfect(!)
Now you can actually
make two mistakes in
one:
A: Not understanding
that each employee
needs adapted,
situational leadership,
based on the approach
that you designed
B: Not being open to
general adjustments and
development to the
leadership programme
Regarding A: The
seasoned leader
understands and masters
the skill of adapting
leadership style to the
colleague, he/she is
working with.
You’ll be making a
mistake, if you’re too
rigid and cannot tailor
the model for the sake of
your colleague.
Situational leadership is
the key here.
Regarding B: You must be
open to general input
and adjustments to the
leadership programme
and approach. You should
invite to feedback
sessions on regularly
basis, while the
organisation is embracing
it.
Inspect and adapt.
Don’t be rigid.

10. Too fluffy
Mistake no. 4
Not translating the idea, direction
and emotion to daily pragmatic
actions

11. Too fluffy
Talking about the
reason for change,
about the business
case, and about the
desired future state is
a naturally first step
in a transformation
process, but often it
seems quite fluffy
because you actually
don’t really know
how it will work in
daily life.
However, you’ll be
making a mistake if
you keep being fluffy
and avoid the more
detailed translation
into daily life, and
your organisation
looses faith in the
why.
Maybe you actually
don’t know how it
looks in daily life, but
then involve the
employees and co-
create it.
The translation is the
second step.

12. Too local
Mistake no. 5
Avoiding to involve and train
your peers and your manager

13. Too local
So, you are developing
your team, department
or business unit. You
engage and train them,
and you start to see the
effect: Changed
behaviour, new kind of
transparency, new ways
of working, and so.
Slowly your peers and
your manager starts
noticing the
development, and they
start questioning you,
your approach, and
your motives. Your
management and your
peers may even loose
trust in you, an then
your project soon will
be dead.
Involve and train your
peers and your
manager, so they are
informed and aware of
your actions – and your
motives.
You want them to be
curious and supportive,
not impediments.
Remember to share
your thoughts, results,
and learnings with
them.
Manage upwards too.
Don’t be too local.

14. Too literal *)
Mistake no. 6
Taking UNBOSS to literal,
actually non-bossing instead
*) specifically for UNBOSS

15. Too literal
This mistake applies
specifically to UNBOSS.
UNBOSS is about
avoiding to be the old
fashioned, tough boss
with all the answers
and all the power.
UNBOSS is about
purpose, involvement,
and empowerment.
About rallying for a
cause and giving the
employees the
mandate, letting them
make decisions.
You’ll make a mistake if
you take it too literal
and disclaim the
accountability too,
acting as if there is no
boss, leaving it all up to
the employees.
You are still the boss.
You just do it in a
modern, people-
friendly way.
If you take it too literal,
you will feel it within a
few weeks. The shared
purpose and direction
starts to fade. The joint
collaboration erodes.
The employees start to
get anxious about
whether they perform
well enough.
Be the boss. Be
accountable, but be
people-friendly.
Don’t be too literal.

16. 16
Learn from my mistakes
These are my mistakes. Now go make your own.

17. Bloch&Østergaard I/S
Because going to work should be nice, great, and awesome
17
Erik Korsvik Østergaard, Partner, Bloch&Østergaard I/S
@ErikQstergaard
erik@blochoestergaard.dk