Real Leaders Don't Boss Page 13

  Companies like the Hay Group’s Top 20 empower their employees. Empower is a popular buzzword these days, and I have heard it grossly misused. The word literally means to give power or authority. But it implies many conditions that are often missed: How should power be transferred to individuals who are ready to take on the tasks and responsibilities of leadership? How are individuals made to feel that they are ready for this challenge? Empowerment should embody a serious approach to helping individuals gain experience, knowledge, and insight so they can successfully handle issues and problems on their own.

  Don’t be afraid to transfer pride of authorship, says Traverse City businessman Mark VanderKlipp, who has learned that essential lesson from many mentors in similar positions of authority. Along with his management team, VanderKlipp has achieved perhaps the most difficult aspect of managing a business—a transition in ownership from the founding group to a second generation—when he led the internal process of transition during an eight-year period that resulted in a structurally and financially successful shift to new ownership, something the firm’s competitors are still grappling with. His next challenge will be selecting the third generation of firm leaders and mentoring them to take over someday. That process has already begun.7

  “It seems to me it’s up to the leader to set the goal but then to include as broad a group of people as possible in the decision-making about how do we get from where we are to achieve that goal, and that kind of an inclusive decision-making process, I think, ensures that change is actually lasting because those who are left behind after the leader departs have embraced it and it’s their change.”8

  —Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates

  Growing as a Leader

  Whether a leader has won his or her “bars” on the battlefield, in the boardroom, or beyond, teaching and learning are life-long. Those who mentor and teach new leaders grow as leaders themselves. Larry Ames is one of those special leaders who have helped others develop. The now-retired sports editor of the Ventura County Star recounts his role in the formation of one such leader:

  As assistant sports editor/schools at the Boston Globe from 1979-1994, one of my responsibilities was to hire, train, and supervise our college interns from colleges from across Greater Boston.... One year, as I was starting a hiring period, I received a phone call from B.J. Schecter, a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston. He said he was applying for one of the co-op positions in the sports department, and that I was going to hire him. I told Schecter that we normally didn’t hire freshmen, because we wanted them to become acclimated to college academic life before we would consider them. But I was fascinated by my conversation with Schecter and decided to hire him.

  I was greatly rewarded by my decision. B.J. worked harder than anyone I had ever hired, and he listened and learned better, too. When B.J. graduated from college Sports Illustrated hired him as a researcher/reporter. B.J.’s hard work and determination has never waned. Today, he is executive editor of SI.com, the magazine’s highly successful Website.

  I never tried to figure out if Schecter was a born leader or someone who learned to lead. I do know that hiring him made me a better leader, and was an experiment which helped my leadership role and created several new leaders.9

  Building a Leadership Pipeline

  Today’s workplace suffers no shortage of “leaders-in-waiting,” young talent hoping to be identified, mentored, challenged, and developed by senior leadership. The shortage, instead, is in companies willing to make the commitment to leadership mentoring. Too few organizations recognize the competitive edge that can result from building this conduit or pipeline of future leaders. Real leaders recognize that the greater the number of quality ideas that emerge across various levels of a business, the greater the likelihood that better decisions will be made. The flattening of corporate leadership—in which leadership is spread across the organization and throughout all levels rather than concentrated in the hands of a few at the top—is occurring in today’s top leadership companies, as reflected in the Hay Group study mentioned previously. To accomplish that, however, takes leadership training, and those companies that commit to it are the most successful.

  Pipeline Models

  The spectacular rise of the University of Southern California as an academic powerhouse during the past two decades is a prime example of what can happen with the right infrastructure—or leadership pipeline—in place. Rather than tap talent from top academic institutions, well-known military brass, or stalwart corporate giants such as GE, Boeing, IBM, Four Seasons, or Ritz-Carlton, the school’s leadership opted to build future leaders internally, from the ground up. That way up-and-coming leaders would already understand the business—USC—and its strategy and culture.

  Today’s businesses, large and small, could do well by modeling their leadership pipeline after that of the U.S. military, specifically the U.S. Marines. Of course, bellowing drill sergeants, long runs in double time, and tactical weapons practice would not be on the agenda in future business leadership training. But strategic thinking, learning by doing, executing complex plans, figurative tactical weapons use, and so on, are lessons from the military that can be useful. Junior officers learn to be strategic thinkers, to develop and execute complex plans, to supervise and motivate enlisted personnel, to be accountable for expensive equipment, and to be calm under intense pressure. Learning by doing is also a critical aspect of training, as are regular counseling, critiquing, challenging, and correcting of performance by senior leaders. If the goals are to have employees who know the competition and the playing field, understand the objectives, are well-trained to achieve those objectives, and can accomplish them quickly and efficiently, then the Marines provide an excellent example of how to achieve them.

  Step-by-Step Training

  The right kind of built-in, orchestrated leadership training—the right leadership pipeline—is one way a company can differentiate itself from the competition and thus attract top talent. Consider the following sound approaches in developing your leaders for tomorrow. Try them, and your company will likely be more successful:

  Develop bench strength. Success in sports, as in business, requires a team of starters and those on the bench who can be called upon at critical times. This depth of talent wins championships and captures new business.

  Develop leaders at every level of the organization. Most organizations are complex and require talent development across the company. A reservoir of emerging leaders sustains an organization’s culture and brand.

  Develop numerous ways that younger talent can have increasing responsibilities. Executives and other leaders should be required to spend quality time identifying and developing talent deep within the organization. Top executives are more successful, too, if they regularly provide learning opportunities for young managers.

  Develop the human resources function. Its responsibilities should include oversight of an in-house leadership development curriculum, which is essential to provide added value to the organization. A unified, systematic leadership development approach is far more effective than unrelated, episodic efforts by various departments.

  Develop the moral fiber, values, and ethical standards that often are lacking in today’s leaders. When aspiring leaders are given real-world challenges that involve right and wrong, they learn lasting lessons. Core values and ethical principles are more quickly ingrained when learned early in a career.

  When the Pipeline Runs Smoothly

  Selection of personnel and leadership development are two of the most important responsibilities of an executive. In my nine years as head of marketing, public relations, physician outreach, and hospital affiliations at Indiana University Medical Center, I had the best team of professionals one could assemble for healthcare. At that time, IU Medical Center consisted of Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, and Indiana University Hospital. Our function was called Medical Center Relations, and it consisted of the foll
owing subdivisions: physician and consumer referral systems; publications; media relations; outreach to practicing physicians across Indiana and beyond; hospital affiliations; speakers bureau; and marketing, including a substantial commitment to market research, wayfinding, and other tasks.

  As I reflect back on those turbulent years of hospital alignment, merger frenzy, and cost containment, I remember superb leaders—members of my team, including Mary Minix, Kathryn Alexander, Lynaire White, Jan Michelson, Karen Alter, Kathleen Hopper, Brian Kelley, Suzie Mathis, Kim Harper, Barbara McElroy, Barbara Hollingsworth, and others. Their leadership was characterized by being very approachable, excellent listeners and writers, gifted researchers, and able to develop deep trust with the community as well as academic physicians and hospital staffs. Their communication styles were open, consultative, clear, and persuasive. Each had a stellar work ethic and believed that passion was fundamental to their success, because if you do not put your heart into your work, you will not succeed. They loved their work and they had very high standards. I’ve never worked with a more dedicated group of outstanding professionals. Most important, though, each was highly ethical and fully dedicated to our mission, which was to help all who had a connection with our medical centers, be it the very sick child in Riley or adult patient in University Hospital and the medical and health professionals attending to them, the referring physician who needed to be connected quickly with the attending faculty physician, the hospital executive in an outlying Indiana hospital who needed assistance, the consumer trying to navigate the complexities of the healthcare environment, or the businessperson in need of a speaker.

  Alden B. Dow, noted architect and son of Dow Chemical Company founder Herbert Dow, once said that “an artist in pursuit of his profession should exhibit a balance of honesty, humility, and enthusiasm. Honesty, more than sincerity; humility, the ability to give and take gracefully; and enthusiasm, the ardent pursuit of expression.” Dow’s employees often referred to this statement as “HH&E.”10

  Regional Leadership Programs

  Beyond colleges and universities, leadership training is not the sole purview or responsibility of corporations and businesses. Many community and business organizations, as well as regional groups, colleges, and universities, offer insightful and valuable leadership education experiences. Some of the programs best positioned to identify and develop future leaders often are associated with local chambers of commerce. I have participated in several of these myself, including Leadership San Francisco, and Stanley K. Lacy’s Executive Leadership Program Opportunity Indianapolis.

  Areas of Study

  The issues and topics of these kinds of leadership programs vary depending on the level of sophistication and economic health of the specific community or region. Nonetheless, the programs generally share important leadership development goals, including:

  Becoming better informed about pressing community issues and needs.

  Getting to know business and civic leaders who have been instrumental in shaping the community.

  Acquiring the knowledge and resources to become effective change agents in the community.

  Determining each class member’s specific passion, connecting with others, and broadening horizons.

  Building an extended network of community contacts, friends, and mentors.

  Developing more volunteer and board participation in not-for-profit organizations in the area.

  Most programs typically run from eight to 11 months. Each new class will usually spend a day learning about the community from accomplished leaders. They will also learn about pertinent challenges facing the community, focus on each class member’s personal leadership skills, and explore growth opportunities. Many programs begin with a retreat of some sort (often a two-day event) that can include:

  Leadership training exercises.

  Lectures by leadership trailblazers.

  Exploration of personal leadership styles.

  Discussions and discoveries related to diversity in people and perspectives.

  Interactive learning among class members.

  Added Advantages of Training

  Employers as well as employees can reap major benefits from these leadership programs. Program graduates—as knowledgeable future leaders—are more valuable to their companies. A company’s leadership pipeline is enriched, and program graduates are more effective mentors for their coworkers. As an added bonus, the company’s brand gets a boost through its employees’ participation with other highly regarded companies, especially if a company sponsors programs or events as part of the leadership training.

  More businesses and industry leaders should consider getting involved in chamber-endorsed leadership programs across the country. These programs are vital to communities and operate with your company’s interest in mind: to create real leaders for the future of your company and community.

  Leaders in Oft-Overlooked Places

  Potential leaders can be anywhere, including the often-overlooked arena of the arts. When work, commitment, and pleasure combine to create passion, nothing is impossible. Music, fine arts, and theater demand an above-average level of creativity as well as discipline, commitment, and passion—all valuable traits often lacking in today’s struggling businesses.

  William Revelli at the University of Michigan married his love of music with the highest standards of excellence and an uncanny ability to inspire college students with unremitting discipline. Under Revelli’s direction, the Michigan marching band was innovative—the first to use original scores for their band’s shows, and employ synchronized music and movements. They were highly praised for their precision, formations, and style. Revelli was tough on his young band members and would not accept mediocrity. His exceptionally high standards demanded strong commitment from his team members—not only to their music, but also in their lives. The university’s reputation as a premiere music institution is due, in large part, to Revelli’s influence. He would have made an excellent corporate leader.

  He is a great leader from the arts, but great leadership can come from anywhere: on the field, court, or track, or from the humblest community college in your area. There are people around you who might do seemingly ordinary things, and suddenly a movement is started. Consider Rosa Parks, a young African-American civil rights activist in Montgomery, Alabama, who in 1955 refused a bus driver’s order to give up her seat to a white passenger. Her act of civil disobedience became legendary in the nation’s fight for integration. The trick is to look at potential leaders not solely based on their credentials, but in the discipline, values, and vision they have within.

  Banking on the Future

  In today’s competitive marketplace, successful companies must recognize the importance of nurturing tomorrow’s leaders, as they will determine the success of companies in the future. A CEO’s most important responsibility is to implement a process that identifies and grooms future leaders for the organization, and to teach and mentor future leaders who exist within the company. A strong leadership pipeline perpetuates a successful company generation after generation.

  Following are a few questions to think about. They’re not designed to test your knowledge, and there are no right or wrong answers. Instead, it’s hoped that weighing the answers will help you as an aspiring leader to understand the role and benefits of nurturing future leaders:

  Does your organization have formal leadership training for existing employees?

  What more could be done to further mentor future leaders?

  Does your company rely on bringing in outside talent to fill leadership openings? If so, can you determine why that is the case? Is there anything you can do to improve the process?

  Does an organization have to recruit “superstars” to maintain a highly successful portfolio, or can it achieve sustained top performance by maximizing the skills of its existing employees?

  What are some of the ways in which an organization can improve the performance level of its line empl
oyees?

  Think about your performance at work. Are you working to your full potential? If not, why not, and what would it take from your company or its leadership to maximize your performance level?

  You Can Do It, Too

  Real leadership is learned. Among the qualities that real and aspiring leaders must nurture and develop are:

  Humility.

  Quiet self-confidence (rather than boastfulness).

  Preparedness for most any situation that comes up.

  Physical, mental, and moral toughness.

  Commitment to the team as opposed to personal gain.

  Belief in the greater good and causes above self, along with a willingness to sacrifice personal gains for a greater cause.

  Takeaway

  The best position for a real leader—the role that has the greatest chance of success—is as the facilitator—a trainer, teacher, and supporter who guides others and then moves aside.

  Adversity is a great motivator and teacher. Some of the greatest business leaders are people who faced adversity, failed, and then emerged stronger, wiser, and with more passion and determination to succeed.

  Leadership learning should happen at all levels of a corporation, because companies and their executives must develop an organizational culture that builds future leaders from the ground up.

  Real leaders develop a deep and wide pool of future leaders in their organization.

  Business should take a lesson from the U.S. Marines in how to build a leadership training program. The Marines teach junior officers to be strategic thinkers, to develop and execute complex plans, to supervise and motivate enlisted personnel, to be accountable for expensive equipment, and to be calm under intense pressure. Learning by doing also is a critical aspect of training, as are regular counseling, critiquing, challenging, and correcting of junior officers’ performance by senior leaders.