It's June 6, 1944--the day immortalized in those shocking first scenes of Saving Private Ryan. As the tide of battle turns that day, the German commanders call Berlin; they want Hitler brought up- to-date and for Hitler to order the two Panzer divisions, stationed nearby in Western France, to be deployed immediately to quell the Allied advance. In Berlin, Hitler sleeps. His trusted inner circle refuses to wake him. No one wants to be 1) the individual to wake this man who despises being roused or 2) the individual who communicates the day's events to this leader who often lashes out against the bearer of bad news. You know the story. As Hitler sleeps, unaware of the situation, the Allies gain an undefeatable foothold, forever changing the course of the war.

As a leader charged with growing other leaders, I am acutely aware of the role real information plays in success-success for the leader and for the organization. I see leaders, brimming with leadership potential, run into difficulty because they lead by fiction-what they want to be true, rather than what is. They lack a real knowledge of what's happening in their organization and why it is happening. Obviously, most of us don't deal with situations as dramatic as the D-Day example or as extreme as Germany's WWII leaders, but the same dynamic on a smaller scale happens in many of our organizations.

In my experience there are two primary barriers to information for leaders. The first primary barrier is that the leader creates a Good News Only environment where others are hesitant or unwilling to communicate "what's real" to the leader. Though their behaviors do not approach those of a deranged dictator's extreme responses to bad news, many leaders strongly convey their preference for good news over unvarnished communications. Here are some examples of leadership behaviors that result in the Good News Only environment:

• Punishing the messenger: Most leaders think they don't do this. Think, however, of your response to good news versus bad news. When are you upbeat, open and non-defensive? When are you upset, defensive, scrutinizing details for mistakes and those to blame? Chances are it's much easier for your people to bring you good news than bad news.
• Demanding solutions: There's an old school of thought that an effective way to curtail whining in an organization is to require a solution every time a problem is brought to the leader's attention....

Are you really listening... or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?
- Robert Montgomery

The contrast between hearing and really listening can be as different as night and day. And in a business environment, not listening effectively to customers, employees, and peers can mean the difference between success and failure.
- Ken Johnson

It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear.
- Dick Cavett

We should never pretend to know what we don't know, we should not feel ashamed to ask and learn from people below, and we should listen carefully to the views of the cadres at the lowest levels. Be a pupil before you become a teacher; learn from the cadres at the lower levels before you issue orders.
- Mao Tse-Tung

Ya know, I ain't use to talking to a closed door.
- Sylvester Stallone - Rocky

The key to success is to get out into the store and listen to what the associates have to say. It's terribly important for everyone to get involved. Our best ideas come from clerks and stockboys.
- Sam Walton

People don't listen to understand. They listen to reply. The collective monologue is everyone talking and no one listening.
- Stephen Covey

A message from Lynne Key and Tom Dambly

So, it's a New Year. In most organizations, that means new strategic initiatives, new goals, new opportunities. We agree with the premise of Vince's article that informed leadership is central to every leader's success. Being aware of the filters to real information is a great first step in having a successful 2005.

As we consider our experience with helping organizations gather and analyze information-- whether designing mystery shopping procedures, leadership inventories, employee surveys, feedback sessions, or customer experience assessments--we realize that trust is a big part of every thriving information-rich culture. When the information givers see that 1) honest input is actually valued and 2) giving information is not risky, solid information pours in. When trust is absent, individuals (both employees and customers) give only partial or skewed information so they can remain "safe" or comfortable.

We hope each of you enjoys a joyous, prosperous, and informed 2005.