What Makes An Effective Executive - My Homage to Peter ...

Drucker concludes with: “Effective executives differ widely in their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs. All they have in common is that ... Skiptocontent NewslideTheCurrencyofSuccess-InterpersonalIntelligence™ Secure-SubscribetoourEmailNewsletter ™emailmarketingprivacyCategories Boards ChangeManagement Culture Execution Leadership MusingsaboutLife ProfessionalDevelopment Selection,Retention&Succession Strategy Teams Uncategorized Searchfor: ByCarlRobinson,Ph.D.,copyright2007 PeterDruckerpassedawayalittleoverayearago.I’vebeenre-readingseveralofhisarticlesandbooksandwasstruckbyhowwellheunderstoodthemindofexecutivesandhowclearandtothepointhecouldbe.MuchofwhatI’vebeenreadingresonateswithmyexperienceworkingwithexecutives. OneofthethingsthatbugsmetonoendiswhenIrunintoHRfolkswhohaveanidealizedvisionofwhatanexecutiveshouldactlike.Theyexpectthattheirexecutivesshouldbeexceptional“peoplepersons”whoarenaturallyextroverted,whocananddotakethetimetolistenempathicallytotheiremployees,whohavethecapacitytobebothcalmandenthusiasticandneverflyoffthehandle.Furthermore,theyexpecttheseexecutivestobestrategic,methodicalandmastertacticiansinleadingandmanagingtheirorganizations.Givemeabreak. TheeffectiveexecutivesI’vemetcomeinallshapesandsizes.Effectivetomemeansthattheyrunfinanciallysuccessfulorganizations,arerespectedbytheiremployeesandcustomersandaregoodcorporatecitizens.They’rehuman,withhumanfrailtiesandimperfections.Theytrytodotheirjobswell,careabouttheirpeopleandtrytoleaveagoodcorporatefootprint.Somearequiettypeswhileothersfitthestereotypeofthecharismaticexecutive(e.g.,SteveJobs).Yet,theytendtodomanyofthethingsDruckerobservedbelow,notallthetime,butmostofthetime. RatherthanparaphraseDrucker,I’mquotingasectionfromanarticlehewroteafter65yearsinconsulting.I’llconcludewithsomeadditionalthoughtsfrommyexperiences. “Aneffectiveexecutivedoesnotneedtobealeaderinthesensethatthetermisnowmostcommonlyused.HarryTrumandidnothaveoneounceofcharisma,forexample,yethewasamongthemosteffectivechiefexecutivesinU.S.history.Similarly,someofthebestbusinessandnonprofitCEOsI’veworkedwithovera65-yearconsultingcareerwerenotstereotypicalleaders.Theywerealloverthemapintermsoftheirpersonalities,attitudes,values,strengths,andweaknesses.Theyrangedfromextrovertedtonearlyreclusive,fromeasygoingtocontrolling,fromgeneroustoparsimonious. Whatmadethemalleffectiveisthattheyfollowedthesameeightpractices: Theyasked,‘Whatneedstobedone?’ Theyasked,‘Whatisrightfortheenterprise?’ Theydevelopedactionplans. Theytookresponsibilityfordecisions. Theytookresponsibilityforcommunicating. Theywerefocusedonopportunitiesratherthanproblems. Theyranproductivemeetings. Theythoughtandsaid‘we’ratherthan‘I.’ Thefirsttwopracticesgavethemtheknowledgetheyneeded.Thenextfourhelpedthemconvertthisknowledgeintoeffectiveaction.Thelasttwoensuredthatthewholeorganizationfeltresponsibleandaccountable.I’mgoingtothrowinonefinal,bonuspractice.Thisone’ssoimportantthatI’llelevateittothelevelofarule:Listenfirst,speaklast.” Druckerconcludeswith:“Effectiveexecutivesdifferwidelyintheirpersonalities,strengths,weaknesses,values,andbeliefs.Alltheyhaveincommonisthattheygettherightthingsdone.Someareborneffective.Butthedemandismuchtoogreattobesatisfiedbyextraordinarytalent.Effectivenessisadiscipline.And,likeeverydiscipline,effectivenesscanbelearnedandmustbeearned.” Druckeralsomakesapointthatnomatterthestyleoftheexecutive,theeffectiveonesalsotreatpeoplewithrespect.QuotingDruckeragain:“…theyhaveauthorityonlybecausetheyhavethetrustoftheorganization.Thismeansthattheythinkoftheneedsandtheopportunitiesoftheorganizationbeforetheythinkoftheirownneedsandopportunities.Thisonemaysoundsimple;itisn’t,butitneedstobestrictlyobserved.” Oneofmyrulesofthumbforassessinganexecutive(whenI’maskedtomakenewhireorpromotionalassessments)istoaskmyself:DoItrustthisperson?Aretheysincere?Dotheymakeothersfeelvaluable?IremembermeetingtheCEOofoneofthelargestfinancialservicefirmsinthecountrywhenIwasworkingwithoneofhisdirectreports(executivecoachingassignment).HetreatedmelikeIwasaguestinhishome.ThiswasincontrasttotheCEOofanotherfirmwhowas(I’mbeinggenerous)pompousandwasmostlyinterestedinhearinghisownvoice.Inbothcompanies,Iinterviewedkeyexecutivesaspartoftheexecutivecoachingassessmentprocess.Inthefinancialservicefirmpeopletalkedabouthowprivilegedtheyfeltworkingfortheexecutivewhileinthelatter,theymostlytalkedabouthowbeleagueredtheyfelt.Bothcompanieswere“successful”byfinancialstandards.Whichonewouldyouratherworkfor?TheexecutiveIwascoachinginthelattercompanyeventuallyleft(aboutayearlater).He’snowworkingfortheirmajorcompetitor.I’mbettingonthecompetitor. PeterDruckerlivedalongandproductivelife(95years).Wemanagementconsultants(andexecutives)aregreatlyindebtedtohim. Postnavigation ←HandingOverTheReins–TheFounder-BoardDilemma:WhyIt’sSoHardAndWhatToDoAboutItManagingthe21stCenturyWorker→ ScrollUp