What did we learn in 10 years of sum people?

Dear friends of sum people,

on Independence Day, 4th of July 2011, we founded sum people. After 20 years as a corporate employee and coming from a family of public servants founding a company was a big step. And without you, the friends and clients of sum people, it would not have been such a rich experience of learning and growth.
Therefore, the very first impulse at this anniversary is to thank you for entrusting us your leadership teams, for your courage to venture into uncharted and at times uncomfortable terrain (in particular on the I-dimension), for your collaboration and constructive challenge during the journey.

We are honored to have been able to serve 80+ clients, run about 1000 workshops and conferences in 40+ countries on 6 continents and having touched about 10000 leaders on the way. There are loads of lessons learned and we wanted to share some of them with you.

It-We-I - common sense, yet not common practice

Our basic framework is no rocket science. And yet, we continue to be amazed how many deep conversations the simple It-We-I triangle has triggered. It clearly has changed my life from an insecure overachiever with a strong judgmental trait to a purpose driven entrepreneur offering caring challenge to our clients.

And we have seen many clients and teams working the We- and I-dimensions at the service of a better It; be it achieving their goals or pursuing their purpose.
The CEO of a long-term pharma client put it clearly in his check-in at a recent High-Performance-Team (HPT) workshop: we are making the case that personal development on the I-dimension leads to better teams on the We-dimension which leads to better performance on the It-dimension. It sounds like common sense; however, it is (still) not common practice in many corporations.

The WHY has taken center stage

All these years we have helped our clients develop and sharpen their purpose. Why do you do what you do? What is the ‘raison d’être’ of your company? What would be missing in the world without your company?

It is very clear that to engage today’s workforce (and customers actually) the compelling and often noble purpose has dramatically gained in importance. The new generations are not following leaders who push for budget targets or growth without a clear connection to the «reason why».
We are proud to have been part of purpose quests leading to aspirations like: "making smiles", "wir machen Energiewende", "reimagine medicines", "simplify lives", "moving your world", “empower the world’s workers”, “protect what is precious to you” etc.

Huge value potential can be unlocked by overcoming silos

A common theme in many corporations is the work in silos: people focus on their sub-system and as a consequence they suboptimize the bigger system (the company). it is like a defense in a hypothetical football team focusing on preventing goals and preferring to loose 0-1 instead of winning 5-4.

It is not really through organizational structures or incentives that you can solve this fundamental problem of division of labor.
The two levers we can offer to overcome silo-thinking are:

• be very clear on what winning means for the company as a whole and ‘preach’ this objective to the whole organization. 
• foster leadership that is accountable for their specific task and areas, but is always aware how their area contributes to the bigger objective.

The answer to the question “what is your job?” should be “help the company win!”; and this is true for all employees, the BU head, the assistant and the head of compliance. Think of the beautiful anecdote of the NASA janitor who answered this question with “I am here to help bring a man to the moon”.

Right size matters when it comes to high performing teams

We have worked with executive teams of 3 and up to 24 members.

While our set of tools and approaches help all teams become better, more constructive and more performing, there is a range that we consider most effective to run a company.

In a small team, exemplified in a typical German Vorstand of 3-4 members, you will not have all the needed expertise, in depth and in breadth, to take fast and well-informed decision. What seems to be small and agile actually comes with repeated iterations with the expert levels below and lack of diverse thinking.

Big teams, quite frequent in multinationals, try to include all relevant matrix functions, e.g. regions, products, corporate functions plus strategic projects. The desire of inclusion again slows down decision making; and all too often the executive members focus very much on their respective silo or responsibility, and shy away form taking ownership for the company priorities.

In our experience, executive teams between 6 and 11 perform best, and it is not by accident that these are also typical sizes of sports teams. Big enough to cover most of the relevant topics, small enough to create cohesion and mutual trust.

Diversity (Equity and Inclusion) is the lifeblood of high performign teams

Our high -erformance journeys have demonstrated to us the creative and adaptable power of diverse teams. Diverse teams naturally create the space for both vulnerability and new angles that allow for authentic and insiprational leadership.
The future of high performing leadership teams is to expand beyond diversity, i.e. including leaders of diverse backgrounds on senior teams to engender equity and inclusion.

Equity is about creating the space for everyone to feel comfortable in their uniqueness rather than conform to a certain conventional stereotype of leadership. Inclusion is about creating the conditions that are conducive for leaders with diverse backgrounds to show up at their best.
That is the essence of the deep dives on both the We- and I-dimensions: to understand own and celebrate differences and to honor the fact that behind each executive there is also a human being trying to express him/herself.

Nature as a powerful enabler and accelerator of team and personal development

Most of our workshops take place in beautiful and inspiring nature locations. While I do not have the scientific proof, we do have a lot of anecdotal evidence by now of how such nature setting have positively impacted a team’s or a personal journey.

You will see some pictures in this text that still give me goose bumps when I think of the depths of experiences at Machu Picchu, under the stars in Atacama desert, in Patagonia, in Iceland at Thingvellir, on Benguerra Island in Mozambique, the wadi in Oman, Mt Kailash in Tibet, under the Toris in Kyoto or the hikes in Tasmania.
You don’t need to go to such exotic places to capture the power of nature; within an hour’s drive of pretty much any major location you will find an inspiring place that will support your team’s journey.

Take the choice of venues seriously, and please don't go to a basement in an airport hotel because it seems so convenient to get there.

Mens sana in corpore sano

All our workshops start with some early morning physical exercise. This can be yoga, Tai Chi, Nordic Walking, Pilates or, in Brazil, Capoeira. It is less important what you do; what is more important is the inclusive, non-competitive character, and the invitation to try out something new.
Don’t go for a run, where the competitive spirit of executives might come up again.
Mental flexibility correlates with physical flexibility; both is getting more important these days.

We had many cases where a team member came out offering their teacher experience in some of these fields. Receiving an often-surprising contribution from a team member can have a great impact on a team.
Walk & Talks are equally classical modules at a HPT workshop. Walking, looking in the same direction, getting fresh air and inspiration, all contribute to a productive and constructive interaction. Make sure you offer a guiding question or task for the Walk & Talk.

Virtual connection - a lot more than expected

Before COVID, I was convinced that the best environment for HPT journeys are inspiring nature locations… And when the pandemic hit, I was planning to sit this out until the face-to-face formats would become available again.
My sum partners, however, took the initiative to develop a virtual prototype of our HPT journeys. I must admit I was rather skeptical and didn’t expect much.

The first virtual sessions with high energy level modules, lots of interactions in swift breakout sessions, short impulses from experts from all over the world and the powerful capture of ideas on miro boards blew my mind and that of many of our clients.
We still love the face-to-face formats in beautiful nature settings and we are aware of how much can be done virtually between the workshops.

Meetings - how bad does it get?

What good can possibly come out of 15 people sitting in a U-shape watching powerpoint presentations? Add to it that they all sit at the established places and have a computer in front of them. Such set-ups trigger oppositional and conventional behaviors: what is missing? Pointing out the flaws! Typically, this creates an overcritical and defensive discussion.

Changing the way how meetings are run is probably the single biggest lever in many corporations and a strong visible symbol of a different culture.
Problem solving can’t be done with 15 people, but with 5-8. You don’t need tables creating distance, nor computers providing distraction.
Use the virtual format for information sharing, and focus physical meetings for what only they can offer: co-creation and connection.
And above all: allow yourself to experiment; be playful with new formats, use check-ins to give space to the I-dimension, rotate the facilitation and hosting of the meetings.

When you have experienced the magic...

In many workshops (not all) some magic happens.
I would compare it to an image a Hindu sage shared with us during our Mt. Kailash pilgrimage: 

“we all try to be the best possible wave, at times we compare ourselves to other waves and might even compete with other waves. And we tend to forget that we are all part of the ocean.”

Magic happens when we feel the ocean experience of connection.

A bit like a sorcerer’s apprentice, we dont know exactly how it works but we have identified some critical ingredients and symbols: people show vulnerability, sharing of concerns, no more judgments, instead authenticity and depth, care and connection, often in inspiring nature places around a bond fire or under the stars; and we feel it by being touched, sometimes to tears.

When we approach the task at hand in such a moment of connection, the results of the work will blow your mind.

Transformational change happens on the I-dimension

The most important dimensions of the It-We-I triangle is (obviously) the I-dimension; here it gets really juicy.
After 10 years of sum people and helping teams and individuals transform, we continue to be fascinated when we meet new clients on how little self-awareness many leaders have developed about their leadership effectiveness.

The same holds true about the awareness of their shadows and trigger points.
The most powerful moments of our work occur when leaders make their way through their personal iceberg and start appreciating how some current behaviors might be rooted in very old patterns and core beliefs related to early childhood.

Constructive feedback, regular 360 and commitment to personal development are integral parts of a high-performance team. Again, lots of common sense, but not necessarily common practice.
The role modelling of leaders is the biggest driver for culture change: without the visible individual change on executive level don’t expect change of the organization.
In that sense all our sum partners including myself are committed to our own personal journeys.

The power of vulnerability

Brené Brown’s research (check-out her TED talk)provides a scientific base for two important lessons learned:

• there is no connection without vulnerability; you cannot connect to a robot, but we connect to the perfect imperfections that make us human.
• many executives numb vulnerable emotions like fear, shame, not feeling good enough. Since we cannot selectively numb, they also numb joy, creativity, empathy and they shut out desirable business outcomes like innovation, growth and connection with colleagues, clients, partners.

Some of the most memorable experiences are related to shared vulnerability of leaders, and it’s these experiences that colleagues talk about even years later, e.g.:

• the CEO admitting to the top 100 leaders that he is driven by fear
• an executive team sharing their 360 and their personal icebergs
• a leader talking about the complicated lung transplant of her husband in the check-in round and thus creating an ocean experience
• a CEO standing on a chair and apologising for some aggressive behaviour during the leadership conference

Insecure overachiever: what brought you here will not take you there

At McKinsey we called ourselves (half) jokingly: insecure overachievers. Late in the evening, we would produce a couple of more slides to be absolutely prepared to any type of questions that might come up during next day's steering committee.
We have met many such profiles in our workshops, all over the world, all over industries.

What is important to recognize, and it is part of the needed self-awareness we mentioned above, is that such achievement drive is often rooted in insecurity, in a fear of not performing, of not being good enough. While such approach is often leading to achievements, we believe there is a better and healthier way.

• Find your purpose and pursue it. Play to your strengths and accept your weaknesses. In the sport’s analogy this means «playing to win» opposed to «playing not to lose».
• Build a team with complementary skills, where each one can play to their strengths, and collectively you cover the individual weaknesses.
• Allow yourself to ask for help and to say «that’s a good question; let me come back to you»

• The insecure overachiever operates with an individual performance mindset. It will limit the ability to connect and to inspire others which will require vulnerability (as mentioned above) and the platform for collective performance.

  Control kills magic and potential

• The above mentioned insecurity often leads to controlling executives.
  We have heard CEOs complaining about the lack of new ideas coming from management, while ignoring how their strong pursuit of their own ideas was limiting the courage and creativity of lower-level managers.
  My own experience about the virtual offering (mentioned above) helped me understand that I can only be positively surprised about topics that I have not been controlling. In sum people's case, me holding back allowed us to build a second strategic pillar, without me interfering, asking for and incentivizing. And it was very rewarding to see colleagues step up, contribute their strengths and shine.
  Our work supports empowerment, encouragement, entrepreneurship that includes risk taking, focusing on customer needs, experimenting and making mistakes.

  Unboss – the leadership paradigm in challenging times

• We are guided and inspired by our friend Lars Kolind and his book Unboss" where a compelling purpose, self-organizing teams, a fluid definition of company limits supporting the creation of ecosystems, and authentic and inspiring leadership come happily together.
  We are helping clients ‘Unboss’ their leaders and their organization.
  Unboss is also a powerful approach to orchestrate an ecosystem, where partners and companies (and even competitors) engage with you not because you have an arm’s length commercial relationship but because they are drawn to be part of a bigger compelling purpose.

  Private Equity appreciating the value creation of HPT

• PE firms typically create value through operational excellence, corporate finance and M&A. We had the pleasure to support an increasing number of PE firms who have recognised the value potential of high performing leadership teams. We are proud to have been part of the HPT journey of a client who ended up generating 19x money, and the CEO would mention the HPT journey as a key driver for such a successful transaction (sorry for the bragging!)
  Going beyond the traditional approach of changing the CEO, several of our client PE firms invest into creating high performing teams and making a constructive culture part of the full potential plan.
  The combination of purpose-people-performance (the 3 Ps) are a powerful way to steer and align an organization in a relatively short period of time.

  Huge potential in the board room

• As we have worked over time with executive teams, we got increasingly involved in the relationship between the Board of Directors and the Executive team.
  Many Boards of Directors operate as a group of smart individuals making smart comments usually with a somewhat critical undertone.
  We see a huge potential in shaping high performing Boards of Directors that put emphasis on:
• the purpose of the company (the It).
• effective interaction and co-creation beyond the formal board room setting (the We).
• introducing feedback and helping board members play to their strengths (the I).

• A high performing board is smart in overseeing, advising and inspiring an executive team; all members, both in the BoD and the EC are pursuing a bigger purpose.

  When you pursue a compelling purpose the universe will provide

• 10 years ago I spelled out my purpose as «helping executives take their heart to work». We call our commercial offering the High Performance Team journeys.
  The most amazing insight of the journey is how the universe started to provide once we spelled out the purpose and offering.
  sum people has never done active sales or marketing. We gave our best to deliver impactful work and subsequently benefited from word of mouth or leaders moving on to new companies and taking us along.
  A particular thank you goes to all of you who have recommended our work to new clients. In our spiritual eyes we look at you as the universe providing.

These 10 years have been quite a journey. Once again, thank you all friends and clients for the inspiring experiences. Thank you also to my sum partners who have been carrying the torch and the burden of an increasing number of engagements around the world.

And thank you to my wife Carolina and my daughters Anna and Lara, who have been not only midwives during a challenging yoga retreat in April 2011 in Thailand, but strong supporters and real-life coaches all the way.

The journey continues; we will strive to be more edgy, to experiment with embodiment and nature experience, and to take the drilling down the It-We-I deeper. As we also learned during these years, the journey doesn’t really end; you can always do deeper.

Yours always,
Ekki