Foxy

It may be the intended psychological dynamic of this very intensive week, but I find that every minute is intentionally accounted for during this week long course (with the flex option of five-seven hours sleep). Being the rough and tumble sort, I am taking the five hour route and am using the extra three hours to bond with my new cohorts. There will be the weekend back in New York to sleep. I have a new appreciation of this spare time to now form my alliances. Oh yes, this second course weeds out all the warm fuzzies. We now have real world tasks to challenge us. We now have impressive CEOs to impress with otherworldly game plans. Time to trot out our market speak. Form your alliances with the strongest talent in the pool. This is when it gets down to the brass tacks, but this is what the business is. It's what we do.

My previously mentioned object of affection (see below)addressed several aspects of leadership traits. One of them touched on a quadrant matrix of personality types and how those types respond in their environments. In this case, we applied these personalities to "Julius Caesar" and to our colleagues, both in the course and in our work lives. Understanding the personality aspects of those around you teaches you how to effectively work with others to achieve a positive outcome. The quadrants divided as so:

Fox: The fox is ambitious, can be ruthless, single minded, street smart, expert at spin, keen for power, outspoken, risky, impetuous, self centric, susceptible to flattery, decisive, impressive, effective, easily bored. The Fox is the alpha dog, the top dog, the person who commands attention from the moment they enter the room.

Owl: Constant, restrained, logical, methodical, effective, collaborative, implementer, loyal, team builder, efficient leader.

Sheep: Never questions, disinterested, status quo. Lacking ambition, interest or focus. Tends to bow to status quo, follows party line, fails to establish personality. I'm bored with this personality already.

Donkey: They imagine they are a Fox, but in fact they are too overt in their ambition and too obvious in their motives to be taken seriously. They spin in circles in their own little worlds, not realizing they are impacting nothing and no one.

OK, so now that you have a flavor for the personality profiles, I'll finish my story. I left today's session for my group project meeting. As I entered the meeting room, I stopped and gazed upon my team. JesusMaryJoseph...I am working with a trifecta of foxes.

Well, to be clear: there was Uber-Fox taking the lead. He is a golden boy, cocky and self assured like a precocious only child. He is obvious and utterly know it all. I'd abhor him except for the fact that he's actually pretty smart and we've come to like each other. I clearly see him heading up some part of the company one day. He is an alliance I have forged over this week and we have an understanding. Then there was Mr. Technology, probably an Owl, cusping on Fox. I called him the "lower case fox." I also pursued this alliance this week. He's also brilliant and I appreciate his thoughtful commitment to the business. I've also come to like him and I genuinely respect his quiet but obvious expertise. The third fox has to be cusping on donkey. She camouflages her lack of strengths with shadow bravado but ultimately contributes nothing but big bursts of charismatic bluster. I still find her a bit shrieky and she sort of gets on my nerves.

Our project sponsor arrives. He's a dynamic man, my age. He was a classic child prodigy with a successful career track record with Fortune 500 companies. He has a remarkable CV. We pitch our project and he's engaged. And Boy Howdy--he is fascinating to watch in action. The foxes on my team can also see--he is the most practiced of the FOXES. He is King Fox. He is Mister Foxy Brown. He doesn't even hide it--he wears it on his sleeve with pride like a gold Foxy patch. No wonder he is such a success.

We pitch. He likes. We have buy in. Let the project begin.

Of course, this hardly illustrates the subtle and not so subtle jostling that took place between the foxes, but you can already imagine that silliness. In the end, I let the overt foxes posture, the sublime fox interject structural scenarios, the donkey fox bray. As for me, I'm an owl. I took notes, interjected details, finished sentences and supported the vision with moments of impassioned positioning.

What does matter is this: If this project is stripped of all the window dressing of foxery, it still is a good business model. It IS an innovation, solid business proposal. All foxiness aside.