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Category: Leadership
How do you replace a legend?
“How would I fill his shoes? I can’t. I need to find my own shoes” –Jim Daly: President: Focus on the Family
The above quote from Jim Daly was said in 2005 when a reporter asked him how he was going to fill the shoes of the world-renowned organization founder, James Dobson. To use a cliche, James Dobson was a “tough act to follow”.
In 1978, Lee Iacocca took over the helm of the nearly bankrupt Chrysler Corporation. No one I knew truly believed that Mr. Iacocca could revive a company in such serious trouble. Mr. Iacocca went to Congress and convinced the government to give him $1.5 billion in loan guarantees. He got to work and brought Chrysler back to profitability. The loans were paid off early. Iacocca, the father of the beloved Mustang, had seemingly performed a miracle. He retired in 1992.
Bob Eaton was hired to replace Iacocca. Bob had his own style, and it was quite different from his predecessor. Raised in Kansas, Bob had a low-key temperament and quiet demeanor. He knew what he was doing, and he developed a workforce that led Chrysler to be one of the most cash-rich corporations in the country in 1996. Bob knew his own style and strengths, and he put them into play. Here are some things he did to strengthen the company:
- Transformed the culture from “combative to participative”.
- Had a clear vision.
- He was flexible, forceful, a good listener, and eager to learn.
- He engaged the labor force of the company to become more than the sum of the parts.
- He introduced new models with cost-cutting discipline.
- Led Chrysler to be the lowest-cost auto producer.
- Developed effective cross-functional teams to design cars quickly and cheaply.
- He saw opportunities that had not been seen before
- He fostered teamwork, set goals, and rewarded achievers.
- Briefed everyone after Board meetings
- Would not agree to acquisitions.
I think we can safely say that Bob “found his own shoes” and left the company better off than when he started. Bob knew his strengths and the unique qualities he brought to the table, and he used them. We can too!
Becoming boss: An achievement or a call to duty?
“Tell me what makes you feel important, and I’ll tell you what you are”
-Dale Carnegie
Leaders helps build others and make them more successful. Is the person you directly report to your advocate and cheerleader? If not, you may find it difficult to fully engage in your work and do your best.
This past week I heard a great example of a boss who exhibited these supportive qualities: His name is Joe, and his assistant Kim encountered a family emergency. She needed to travel to Colorado to care for her Mom who had just been hospitalized from a fall. With no hesitation, Joe graciously granted her the time off. During Kim’s absence Joe rallied his team to do all of Kim’s work. When Kim returned she was thrilled to find all the work done. It was clear to her that her boss both cared for her and appreciated what she did. Do you think Kim was motivated to do her best for Joe? Yes!
Some people see becoming a boss as an important life achievement. The best bosses I have worked with see being in charge as more of a call to duty than an achievement. They create a more productive environment, and their company makes more money!
Manage your “moments of truth”
World War II hero Eddie Rickenbacker became CEO of Eastern Airlines in the early 50’s. He believed that a critical factor in managing customer relationships and motivating staff was the way we manage ‘moments of truth”. He defined such moments as, “any opportunity a customer (or potential customer) has to form an impression about a company, product, or service”.
A couple weeks ago I had such a moment as a customer. I had purchased a pair of casual pants from a well-known retailer in the area. One day, when putting on my pants my toe caught an adjustor strap right at the cuff. The cuff tightened, and when I tried to loosen it, I couldn’t.
A couple days later we took the garment to the service desk of the store where we made the purchase. We explained the problem to the person behind the desk. We could quickly see that she had no idea of how to help us, and she went to the back room and brought the store manager back with her. As soon as the manager saw us, she smiled and quickly diagnosed our problem. There was a special button that needs to be pressed and she demonstrated it to us as she released the tension on the strap. The problem was solved! We had a good laugh and before we left we spent over $100 on additional items. We had just experienced a moment of truth that was managed successfully with tangible results. Take the number of employees you have times the customer interactions each one has per day, and you have the moments of truth. If you learn to consistently manage these instances well, your efforts will pay off royally.
A vital step in employee engagement and retention
Two weeks I was talking with a client (we’ll call him Sam) who was struggling with a dip in his confidence as a leader. A couple months ago Sam had made a serious error of omission, and the result was going to be a heavy fine for his company. Sam takes pride in his work and he took this “ding” in his record personally. Rather than brood, Sam decided to take action to help get himself ouf of his “funk”.
The action Sam took was to conduct “Stay Interviews” with all his direct reports. Management consultant Richard Finnigan defines a “Stay Interview” as “A structured discussion a leader conducts with an individual employee to learn specific actions the leader can take to strengthen the employee’s engagement and retention in an organization.”
As a result of the interviews, Sam found himself well on his way to regaining his confidence and momentum. His people were positive and affirmed how much they enjoyed working for him. The team members also gave helpful and consistent feedback on what Sam could do to make their jobs easier. (What do you need from me?)
Sam’s decision to conduct “Stay Interviews” proved to be just the right action to give both Sam and his staff a boost. It is important to note that Sam had already built a high level of trust with his team and he also had a very supportive boss. Sam had put together the right team atmosphere to make the “Stay Interview” effective. If you are proud of your team and committed to continued professional growth, I recommend you consider the “Stay Interview”.
Character’s most important ingredient
Being a loyal team member is a virtue. So is maintaining our personal integrity. What if you run into a situation where you have to choose between the two? The following true story illustrates this scenario as good as any I know:
In 1914 at age 27, Herm Krannert was hired by the Sefton Corporation. Sefton made corrugated boxes, and they were at the top of their field. Herm was eager and worked hard. At age 30, he was rewarded by being promoted to VP and director. There was one condition: He would be required to vote as the president wanted him to. This offended Herm and he saw it as an affront to his integrity. He immediately quit. Imagine being promoted to Vice President and director of a major company and unemployed in one day!
Herm came home and shared the news with his wife, Ellnora. She comforted him, and assured him things would work out fine. They did! A group of co-workers heard what had happened and they quit also. They said they wanted to pool their cash together and start their own company, and they wanted Herm to be president. That was the beginning of the Inland Container Corporation, which would end up to be the 2nd largest container manufacturing corporation in the country.
If you walk the campus of Purdue University, you will find Herm’s name in many places. Most noticeable, there is the Herman Krannert School of Management.
Herm was a man of rock-solid integrity. We respect people with such a quality. We also respect one of the most important ingredients we need to achieve and sustain our integrity…COURAGE!