BOOK SUMMARY 60 Chess Not Checkers
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Summary written by: Dianne Coppola
"The game today for most leaders can better be
compared to chess – a game in which strategy matters; a game in which
individual pieces have unique abilities that drive unique contributions; a game
in which heightened focus and a deeper level of thinking are required to
win."
- Chess Not Checkers, page 2
Mark
Miller follows in the footsteps of authors like Patrick Lencioni (The Advantage, 2012;The Five
Dysfunctions of Team,
2002) and Daniel Blakeslee (The Leader Code, 2012) with his latest book, Chess Not Checkers;
a short, engaging business fable that helps aspiring leaders develop high
performing teams and organizations by mastering four chess-inspired moves. It
is based on the premise that the problems facing businesses today are extremely
complex and the methods that contributed to success in the past are not
sufficient to ensure success in the future. Miller suggests that leaders
wishing to develop world-class organizations need to stop playing checkers and
start learning to play chess.
Miller
introduces us to Blake, an emerging leader who accepts a CEO position at a
company with great potential that isn’t being realized, and his mentor Jack, a
retired CEO and (not surprisingly) a chess master. As the story unfolds Jack
shares four concepts or ‘moves’ that help Blake and his executive team take
their organization from mediocre to exceptional. These moves are:
·
Bet on leadership – growing leaders grow organizations
·
Act as one – alignment multiplies impact
·
Win the heart – engagement energizes effort
·
Excel at execution – greatness hinges on execution
Each
of these ‘moves’ are great actionable GEMs in and of themselves. However, as
Jack points out to Blake, first you have to know if the game board has been
flipped. Which inspired our Golden Egg…
The Golden Egg
Know What Game You Are Playing
"If
you try to play checkers in a chess world, problems are your reward."- Chess Not Checkers, page 29
All
board games have different rules, unique board designs and their own distinct
playing pieces. Think Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Snakes and Ladders, and Clue.
And, it’s virtually impossible to win the game if you don’t know how to
navigate the game board.
The
game boards for chess and checkers are similar however the pieces and rules of
the game are very different. Checkers is a fairly straight-forward, fast paced
and frequently reactionary game, although at times it does require some
thinking ahead. Chess is a slower-paced strategic game that requires players to
anticipate their moves as well as the counter-moves of their opponent if they
hope to maximize the unique capabilities of their different game pieces and win
the game.
Chess
mirrors the level of complexity companies are dealing with in terms of the
customers served and the size and structure of the organization itself. As Jack
says, “You cannot run a multimillion-dollar business like you would a
lemonade stand.” Small businesses and startups serving a niche
customer with one or two offerings are usually playing checkers; they have a
short-term focus often reacting to and resolving immediate issues and concerns
in order to grow the business. As the business grows and expands processes
become more complex and the game board subtly flips from checkers to chess.
Leaders who don’t recognize the game has changed and continue to play checkers
eventually become overwhelmed with recurring problems, challenges and crises.
The failure to adopt more long-term thinking and engagement strategies dooms
these companies to mediocrity and eventual extinction.
So,
let me ask you – do you know what game your company is playing? Are you playing
checkers when you should be learning how to play chess?
Gem #1
Anticipate Your Future Needs
"You
can’t wait until you need a leader to start developing one."- Chess Not Checkers, page 41
Chess
masters have learned the importance of thinking ahead, of working towards
placing their available pieces on the squares that provide them with the most
flexibility and highest potential for impact. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky
attributed his success to his ability “to skate to where the puck is going to
be.” Gretzky was playing chess not checkers. He anticipated where he needed to
be on the ice to maximize his opportunities for making a play – be that passing
to another player or scoring himself.
Successful
businesses learn to anticipate their future needs (and those of their
customers) and focus on developing the capabilities of their staff so they are
ready to capitalize on new opportunities and minimize unforeseen challenges.
They are playing chess. Unsuccessful businesses wait until they are faced with
problems or unmet needs before developing a plan to address them. They are
playing checkers.
I’ve
always liked this Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was
20 years ago. The second best time is now.” It reminds me that it is
never too late to take action. A tree planted 20 years ago symbolizes thinking
ahead, anticipating the need for shade (or fruit or a windbreak). Planting a
tree now, represents a course correction – the recognition that new moves are
required to create that desired future.
What
are you doing to anticipate and prepare for the future? Are you reading or
taking courses to build your knowledge and skills? Do you have a coach or
mentor to support and challenge you? Are you mentoring someone else to develop
their skills and potential?
Gem #2
Embrace Lifelong Learning
"Your
capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead."- Chess Not Checkers, page 43
High
performing leaders and organizations do not sit on their proverbial laurels.
They are curious about the world around them and constantly asking questions
that broaden their perspective and improve their performance. If you want to
become a chess master, you need to commit to learning the game – by watching
other chess masters, reading books on chess strategy, and most importantly
playing the game regularly and getting feedback on your performance. The same
goes for building your leadership skills and those of the people around you.
Great
organizations are led by great leaders. Jack tells Blake that “leadership
growth always precedes organizational growth” because leaders set the
pace – employees do what they see their leaders doing. Is it realistic to
expect your employees to learn and grow if you don’t value your own
professional development? Spend some time this week creating a personal growth
plan for yourself – one that anticipates where you’d like to be two or three
years down the road. Then think about who you can support on their learning
journey and devise a plan for making that happen too!
If you
like learning from stories, you’ll enjoy reading Chess Not Checkers.
The four chess-inspired leadership moves Miller describes provide a sound
foundation for instilling the mental and behavioural shifts necessary to
nurture a high performing team and organization. Like chess, the moves are
simple and logical yet difficult to master. Taking action on the Golden Egg and
two GEMs in this summary is a great way to begin your transformation. Finding a
chess master mentor like Jack is also highly recommended!
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