Tag Archives: commitment

Leadership Best Quacktices from Oregon’s Dan Lanning

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Leadership Best Quacktices from Oregon's Dan Lanning

by Braden Kelley

For the first time since 2012 (a couple years before Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy) the University of Oregon football team is ranked number one in the NCAA football rankings and in the pole position in the race to the national championship playoff picture.

Make no mistake, this year’s Oregon Ducks’ football team is full of talent, but in sports like in business, the difference between a winner and a loser is often the character of its leadership and culture.

In the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, the role of a coach extends far beyond strategizing plays and winning games. It involves shaping young athletes into well-rounded individuals equipped not only for their sports careers but for life. Dan Lanning, head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team, exemplifies this human-centered leadership. His approach demonstrates qualities that every leader (whether in sports, business, or any other field) can learn from and apply. Here, as a passionate advocate of human-centered change and innovation, I’ll explore the key facets of Coach Lanning’s leadership that make him effective and inspiring while building a winning culture.

1. Empathy and Understanding

Coach Dan Lanning excels in creating an environment that prioritizes empathy and understanding. He recognizes that every player is unique and has different motivations, challenges, and aspirations. This individual focus allows him to connect with players on a personal level, fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. Through active listening and consistent communication, Lanning ensures that his athletes feel heard and valued, both on and off the field.

2. Commitment to Development

A true leader invests in the growth and development of their team members. Coach Lanning adopts a holistic approach to player development, emphasizing education, character building, and life skills alongside athletic prowess. By encouraging his players to excel academically and engage with their communities, Lanning instills a sense of responsibility and maturity. This well-rounded development is crucial in preparing athletes for the varied challenges of life.

3. Cultivating a Winning Mindset

While empathy and development are central to Lanning’s approach, he also understands the importance of instilling a competitive spirit. Lanning is adept at fostering a winning mindset among his players without compromising sportsmanship and integrity. He emphasizes setting ambitious goals, maintaining discipline, and embracing the process. This mentality not only contributes to the team’s success on the field but also prepares athletes to tackle future obstacles with resilience and determination. You’ll notice that even in victory, the team’s focus is brought back to the process, brought back to reinforcing a commitment to growth.

4. Innovation and Adaptability

In a rapidly evolving sports landscape, innovation and adaptability are key. Coach Lanning leads by example in embracing change and encouraging creative problem-solving. Whether it’s integrating new training technologies or developing novel game strategies, Lanning shows a willingness to experiment and adapt. This not only keeps his team competitive but also inspires his players to think outside the box and continually evolve. In the video we pick up a team meeting conversation going into the game where they are talking about looking for an opportunity to use a creative formation and play call to steal a first down, and then they perfectly executed it in the game to steal a first down.

5. Building a Strong Team Culture

Coach Lanning understands that success in sports is fundamentally a team effort. He places great emphasis on building a cohesive and inclusive team culture where every member feels they belong. By fostering collaboration and unity, Lanning creates a support system where players are encouraged to look out for each other and celebrate each other’s successes. This strong sense of community enhances team morale and motivates players to perform at their best.

6. Leading by Example

Finally, great leaders lead by example, and Dan Lanning is no exception. His work ethic, commitment, and positive attitude serve as a powerful model for his players. Lanning’s transparency and humility encourage an open dialogue where athletes feel comfortable contributing their own ideas and perspectives. This participative leadership style not only empowers players but also reinforces the collective pursuit of excellence.

Conclusion

Dan Lanning’s greatness as a leader is not measured solely by his achievements with the Oregon Ducks but by the profound impact he has on his players’ lives. His human-centered approach demonstrates that effective leadership is about nurturing potential, fostering growth, and enabling individuals to exceed their expectations. As we consider leadership in any field, Lanning’s example reminds us of the transformative power of empathy, innovation, and community.

And finally, Go Ducks!

p.s. Be sure and follow both my personal account and the Human-Centered Change and Innovation community on LinkedIn.

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons

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Your Personal Change Playbook

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Adapting

Your Personal Change Playbook - A Step-by-Step Guide to Adapting

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

As a thought leader focused on human-centered change, I often guide organizations through massive transformations—shifting cultures, adopting new technologies, or entering new markets. But every large-scale change, at its root, is a collection of thousands of individual, personal transformations. The biggest bottleneck in corporate innovation isn’t a lack of money or technology; it’s the human inability to adapt effectively.

The pace of modern life — the constant evolution of work, technology, and social structures—demands that we become master adapters. If we don’t actively manage our own journey through change, we default to resistance, anxiety, and stagnation. This article is your personal Change Playbook—a structured, step-by-step guide to help you navigate, process, and ultimately thrive amidst continuous disruption. It’s about applying the same principles of strategic change management we use for billion-dollar companies to the most complex system of all: you. Our goal is to replace change fatigue with adaptive resilience.

Phase 1: Awareness and Acknowledgment (The “Why”)

The first and most crucial step is to move past denial and build situational awareness around the change. This is the diagnostic phase, focused on emotional and cognitive clarity.

  • Step 1: Define the Disruption: Clearly articulate what is changing. Is it a skill (e.g., GenAI replacing a task), a role (a reorganization), or an environment (moving cities)? Be specific; vague anxiety is a resource drain.
  • Step 2: Identify the Loss: Every change, even a positive one, involves a loss: loss of routine, loss of status, loss of a comfortable skill set. Acknowledge this loss and the resulting grief cycle (denial, frustration, sadness). Skipping this step traps you in resistance and depletes psychological capital.
  • Step 3: Articulate Your Personal “WIIFM”: WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me?” Executives need a business case; you need a personal one. What specific, beneficial future state does this change unlock for you? A new career path, better work-life balance, or a challenging new skill? This creates the personal motivation for action.

“Change resistance is often un-managed fear. To overcome it we must acknowledge and quantify what we stand to lose AND gain.” — Braden Kelley

Phase 2: Experimentation and Iteration (The “How”)

Once you’ve accepted the reality of the change, you must shift from processing emotions to taking small, deliberate actions. Think of this phase as running short Agile Sprints on your life.

  • Step 4: Micro-Commitments: Break the change down into the smallest possible tasks. If you need to learn Python, your first task isn’t “Become a Coder.” It’s “Complete the first 3 lessons of the online course” or “Write one 5-line function.” This builds early wins and momentum, reducing the activation energy required for the next step.
  • Step 5: Embrace the “Ugly Prototype”: Accept that you will be inefficient and awkward in the new state. A novice guitarist doesn’t sound like a master; a new skill will feel slow and frustrating. The goal is rapid, imperfect prototyping of the new behavior, not perfection. This reduces the paralyzing fear of failure and accelerates the learning curve.
  • Step 6: Build Your Support Coalition: No change happens in isolation. Identify three types of people: a Mentor (who has done the change), a Buddy (who is doing the change with you), and a Champion (your accountability partner). This creates your personal change ecosystem and strengthens your social support net.

Case Study 1: The Mid-Career Pivot of “Sarah”

The Challenge:

Sarah, a 48-year-old marketing director, learned her company was shifting their entire strategy from traditional advertising to data-driven digital platforms. Her core expertise (creative storytelling and media buying) was suddenly becoming obsolete. She felt immense fear and a threat to her professional identity.

The Personal Change Playbook in Action:

Sarah applied Phase 1 by first defining the loss: “I am losing my status as the ‘go-to’ expert.” Her WIIFM was to lead the new digital transformation team and remain relevant for the next decade. In Phase 2, she started with a micro-commitment: spending 30 minutes every morning before work to complete an online certification in Google Analytics and a data visualization tool. She didn’t announce her grand plan; she focused on the next small task. By focusing on doing the change, she gradually built confidence and tangible skills.

The Result:

Within six months, Sarah became the most vocal and skilled advocate for the new strategy. She didn’t become a programmer, but she became fluent in the language of data, allowing her to lead and manage the younger data science teams effectively. Her willingness to be a beginner accelerated her into a new, expanded leadership role, proving that intentional adaptation is a powerful career shield.

Phase 3: Integration and Mastery (The “What’s Next”)

The final phase is about locking in the new behaviors and preparing for the inevitable next change by establishing a Personal Feedback Loop.

  • Step 7: Codify the New Normal: Make the new habit non-negotiable. If the change was switching to a new workflow software, delete the old one. If it was a new exercise routine, book it in your calendar as a meeting you can’t miss. Ritualize the behavior until it requires minimal conscious effort and becomes part of your identity.
  • Step 8: Reflect and Document (The Personal Retrospective): The most underutilized tool for change is a journal. Write down what you learned about yourself during the process. What triggered resistance? What enabled quick progress? This creates an adaptability blueprint for your future changes, turning every transformation into a learning opportunity.
  • Step 9: Anticipate the Next Shift: Use your newly developed foresight muscle to look ahead. Based on what you see in your industry, what is the next skill, tool, or mindset you will need to start prototyping? The goal is to make pre-emptive change your default state, ensuring you are always one step ahead of obsolescence.

Case Study 2: Overcoming Remote Work Burnout “Mark”

The Challenge:

Mark, a software engineer, shifted to permanent remote work. While initially happy, he quickly succumbed to work-life boundary collapse. He was always “on,” leading to severe burnout, reduced creativity, and a strained relationship with his family. The change was his environment.

The Personal Change Playbook in Action:

Mark’s loss was “structured time and separation.” His WIIFM was “sustainable productivity and restored family life.” His Micro-Commitment (Step 4) wasn’t complicated; it was physical. He implemented a non-negotiable 30-minute commute ritual (Step 7): a brisk walk around the neighborhood before 9 AM and again at 5 PM. During this time, he mentally “commuted,” listening to podcasts on the way in and calling his wife on the way out. He also physically moved his work laptop into a specific home office and never used it anywhere else (Codifying the New Normal).

The Result:

The ritualized transition created the mental and physical boundary the office had provided. His productivity recovered, and his burnout receded. He documented (Step 8) that his greatest enabler was the physical separation of work and rest, proving that sometimes, the most sophisticated solution to a digital problem is a simple human ritual.

Ultimately, change is not an event you endure; it is a skill you cultivate. By approaching your personal transformations with the same rigor, empathy, and strategic thinking that we apply to organizational change, you stop being a victim of disruption and start becoming a master of your own adaptation. Start today. Your playbook is waiting.

Extra Extra: Futurology is not fortune telling. Futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: 1 of 950+ FREE quote slides for your presentations at http://misterinnovation.com

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Are You Investing in an Innovation Culture?

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Are You Investing in an Innovation Culture?

Innovation is everywhere.

You can’t go an entire commercial break during the Super Bowl or a State of the Union address (okay, sorry, both American examples) without hearing the word innovation pop up at least once or twice. Companies have added innovation to their company values and mission statements in accelerating numbers. Some organizations have implemented idea management systems. And others are willing to spend large sums of money on design firms and innovation boutique consultancies to get help designing some new widget or service to flog to new or existing customers. Based on all of that you would think that most companies are committed to innovation, right?

If you asked most CEOs “Is your organization committed to innovation?”, do you think you could find a single CEO that would say no?

So, why do think I’m about to make the following statement?

90+% of organizations have no sustained commitment to innovation.

When it comes to fostering continuous innovation, most organizational cultures stink at it.

Let’s look at some data, because anyone who is committed to innovation (and not just creativity) should love data (especially unstructured data from customers):

  • Over the last 50 years the average lifespan of a company on the S&P 500 has dropped from 61 years to 18 years (and is forecast to grow even shorter in the future)1

  • In a worldwide survey of 175 companies by Hill & Knowlton (a communications consultancy), executives cited “promoting continuous innovation” as the most difficult goal for their company to get right. “Structurally, many companies just aren’t set up to deliver continuous innovation.”2

  • 84% of more than 2,200 executives agree that their organization’s culture is critical to business success3

  • “96% of respondents say some change is needed to their culture, and 51% think their culture requires a major overhaul.”3

So what does this data tell us?

For one thing, it helps to reinforce the notion that the pace of innovation is increasing.

For another thing, it doesn’t exactly scream that organizations are as committed to building an innovation culture internally as their words externally say about being committed to innovation.

Why is this?

Well, as fellow Innovation Excellence contributor Jeffrey Phillips once said:

“When it comes to innovation, ideas are the easy part. The cultural resistance learned over 30 years of efficiency is the hard part.”

And when you get right down to it, most employees in most organizations are slaves to execution, efficiency, and improvement. And while those things are all important (you can’t have innovation without execution), organizations that fail to strike a balance between improvement/efficiency and innovation/entrepreneurship, are well, doomed to fail.

This increasing pace of innovation along with the lower cost of starting/scaling a business and the always difficult challenge of building a productive culture of continuous innovation, is the reason that the lifespan of organizations is shrinking.

So if it isn’t enough to talk about innovation, or to invest in trying to come up with new products and services, shouldn’t more organizations be also investing to making sure their innovation culture doesn’t, well, stink?

The obvious answer is… (insert yours here)

So, if your innovation culture stinks, I encourage you to come join me at Pipeline 2014 and attend my keynote session on exploring five ways to make it smell better:

“Our Innovation Culture Stinks – Five Ways to Make it Smell Better”

It’s a free virtual event on June 6, 2014.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Sources:
1. Innosight/Richard N. Foster/Standard & Poor’s
2. Hill & Knowlton Executive Survey
3. Booz & Company Global Culture and Change Management Survey 2013


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Three Actions to Become More Innovative

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Three Actions to Become More Innovative‘What are three specific actions that a non-innovative company can take to become more innovative?’

Sometimes I think that people out there talking about innovation try and make crafting a good innovation process sound harder than it is and the work of making innovation happen sound easier than it really is. Whether this is self-serving behavior to try and drive people to buy their books or consulting services, I’m not sure, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s not.

Instead let’s see if we can simplify some of what we know into three specific actions that a non-innovative company can take to become more innovative:

1. Make a Commitment

  • Many organizations say they want to be more innovative, but few are willing to make the commitment. Leaders may talk about it once or twice, and then expect others in the organization to commit themselves to innovation. Talking about innovation is much easier than committing to the changes and risks required for successful innovation. Organizations that succeed at becoming more innovative commit the financial resources to discrete innovation projects, they commit to the human resources flexibility necessary to staff them, and they commit the communications resources necessary to ensure that everyone knows the innovation journey the organization is committed to.

2. Collect and Connect:

  • Innovation is ultimately all about data. Organizations seeking to improve their ability to innovate, must get better at collecting and connecting the dots. This means improving their ability to transform data about the organization’s customers into information, information into knowledge, and knowledge into insight. The ability to transform data all the way through to insight is key because new and novel insights drive an organization’s ability to identify those ideas with the potential to deliver more value to their target market than any other existing alternative. Improving this transformation capability is not just about data though, but about people, and if your organization really wants to become more innovative it has get better at connecting people at the same time (both online and in the real world). Creating connections between people and data is a powerful input to innovation.

3. Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail:

  • Most organizations do a great job of planning how to succeed, but many organizations don’t make a plan for how to fail. People like to talk about failing fast, failing cheap, and failing smart. The first two are self-explanatory, but what does that failing smart look like?
  • In part this means taking educated risks, but even doing that you are still going to have failures, and so you must ask yourself:
    • What did we learn?
    • What can we use later?
    • What do we do now?

Doing these three things won’t guarantee that you will come up with a whole collection of new innovations, but it will help make your organization more innovative. There is a difference, and if you’re not clear on what it is, then let me direct your attention back to the first paragraph. 😉

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