July,
1998
Ten
Attributes of Today’s Most Prized Executives
ONE OF
THE UNSUNG HEROES of the American Revolutionary War was Baron
Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian military leader
recruited by General Washington to be the Drillmaster of the
Continental Army. Facing a well-trained army of British conscripts
and Hessian mercenaries, von Steuben turned a ragtag collection
of farmers and shopkeepers into the officer corps that led
the Americans to victory.
In effect,
Washington created a "level playing field" by bringing
in a skilled outsider who knew the enemy and what it would
take to defeat them. From von Steuben to Lafayette, Washington
sought individuals who could make a difference in the outcome
of the war.
Business
is war, too. Day in and day out, you put your job on the line
to help your company beat the competition, gain market share
and become the market leader. You can’t achieve victory,
however, with second-rate people.
With
job candidates of almost any ability in short supply today,
the battle for those of exceptional ability is fierce. But
what makes some stars shine the brightest? Here are ten traits
to consider when you need to find the very best.
The
individual will fill a gap in your management mix.
General Washington knew he needed an expert in close-order
drill. Good baseball managers know their relative pitching,
fielding and hitting strength and make trades accordingly.
Likewise, smart corporate managers know their own organization’s
strengths and weaknesses and seek to complement, not replicate,
them when hiring.
With
proper seasoning, the individual can fill the next job up
the corporate ladder. All too often, companies consider
only the demands of the current job. Why hire someone, however,
you can’t promote? The upwardly mobile manager eases
the burden of succession planning and improves your return
on personnel investment.
Broad-based
experience will bring a variety of perspectives to the challenges
at hand. A recent study found that fewer than two
out of five top executives are company "lifers."
While promotion from within was once a well and widely regarded
practice, many organizations today realize that corporate
inbreeding results in a management cadre that knows only one
way of doing things. The manager who has thrived in differing
industries and corporate cultures not only brings a range
of experience to the table – but is also likely to be
flexible enough to adapt to your organization as well.
A
range of past assignments bodes well for future promotability.
Let’s face it: The person who gets pigeonholed into
this or that functional specialty – be it purchasing,
product development or public relations – has not been
earmarked by his or her employer as a candidate for high-level
promotion. Succession planning depends on giving the line
manager staff experience and vice versa, so that someday they
are truly ready for general management. Unless skills are
of paramount importance (e.g., you require the world’s
greatest expert in electron microscopy, data mining, econometric
modeling or whatnot), look for those individuals who have
been voted by past or present employers as most likely to
succeed.
Communications
skills are far above average. Fuzzy writing and speaking
skills are rarely indicative of sharp thinking, whereas clarity
and conciseness of expression are. Colloquial expressions
may work well on the factory floor but are unlikely to impress
your customers or Board of Directors. Likewise, verbosity
in speech is often mirrored by verbosity in writing; who has
the time to endure either? During an interview, don’t
hesitate to ask the candidate to convince you in the next
three minutes why he or she should get the job – or
to prepare a brief memo, letter or report on a given subject.
The
individual will be a change-agent in your organization.
Abhor the candidate who believes everything is fine just the
way it is and wants to become a valued team player. Unless
you’re hiring followers, it’s far better to find
the person who wants to lead the team in search of a better
way. The candidate without a single new idea is more than
likely a candidate who has mentally retired. At the same time,
however, satisfy yourself that the person possesses the political
savvy to accomplish change. The astute change-agent knows
how to get things done, not simply what needs to be done.
The
candidate understands technology and embraces it.
We live and work in the Information Age. The manager who brags
about not using a computer ("That’s what munchkins
are for") can only have the vaguest comprehension of
information technology’s potential and ultimate ease
of use. From order processing to factory scheduling, from
pricing models to product design, and from boardroom presentations
to Internet marketing, computers enhance companies’
abilities to make informed decisions, achieve more predictable
end results, optimize efficiency and outperform their slower
competitors. Today’s top executives are thinking of
tomorrow’s technology needs.
The
person is not afraid to make tough decisions. In
business, acts of omission cause more damage than acts of
commission – which means that usually some kind of decision
is better than none at all. Most candidates, of course, can
tell you tales of extraordinary heroism, but these are often
difficult to confirm. If you’re unconvinced of a candidate’s
decision-making ability, ask him or her to pretend they are
the head of Acme Razor Company, with a precarious 10-percent
share of market. Gillette has just announced its three-bladed
razor. What does the candidate do next? While there need not
be a "school solution" to the problem, any response
along the lines of "Let’s wait and see what effect
it has on our business" should result in a failing grade.
The
individual sets ambitious goals and motivates others to participate
in achieving them. This is one good definition of
corporate leadership and should be part of any CEO’s
job description. But leadership in a well-run company is never
limited to the corner office on the top floor. In the R&D
labs, it motivates lone-wolf scientists and engineers to work
together to design the better razor blade. In the field, it
motivates the sales force to take no prisoners in the battle
for marketplace supremacy. In a new plant, it can make the
difference when union organizers arrive.
He
or she will bring a global perspective to the job.
We compete today in a global marketplace. Foreign markets
exist for local products. Components of these products may
be manufactured in a variety of different countries. Changes
in foreign currency translation affect corporate profits and
investment decisions. And employees in your organization may
come from many nations. The executive of the future will be
well-traveled, multilingual, aware of worldwide political
and economic trends, comfortable in foreign cultures and aware
of local business customs.
PROFESSIONAL
SEARCH CONSULTANTS can help companies build a profile of the
candidate who can do more than simply fill the job. Ultimately,
of course, each company, subsidiary or unit must decide for
itself what attributes will lead to on-the-job success –
since the employer, not the recruiter, will be stuck with
the end result. And, of course, no one size fits all. Mature
companies in a cash-generation mode seek a more conservative
style of manager than do high-growth-potential startups and
will be most inclined to hire in their own image. (For example,
it’s still awfully important in Detroit to be a "car
guy.") But no matter what your industry, hire the person
who will give you a leg up on your competitors. In the presence
of Hessian mercenaries, do as Washington did and hire a Prussian
general.
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