Rating: +1
GOOD LEADERSHIP? There are loads of tales of bad leadership experiences out there (Scott Adams' Dilbert is a daily remineder of how bad it can get sometim?es), but there seem to be very few tales of people who have felt inspired and motivated by people they've dealt with. What's your story of a good leadership experience?
Clarification added November 9, 2007:
I'm looking to hear the real stories, not so much just an opinion on the topic. For instance, I worked for a guy when I was in the military. He was the first one to give me harsh feedback about my performance, and it hurt like hell to hear it (to use his words, it felt like "having your skin rubbed with a wire brush", and he was right.) I felt like a real waster for a couple of weeks while I processed what I knew was a truthful view. A few weeks later we were in the field on an exercise and he approached me while I was getting the camp set up, and told me he'd been talking to a few of the NCOs and had heard, and witnessed himself, some good things about me, that I'd really paid attention to what he'd said and improved my performance. After that 2 minute chat in the field, I'd have done anything for that man. He turned out to have real vision and a way of dealing with me that was what I needed when I needed it.
So what's your story?
Now we're talking! That's the kind of thing I was looking for - real examples of good leadership that are happening. It seems rare, which is maybe why we notice it when it happens, but there are examples out there. What else have you got?
Shawn,
This is a true story that I have shared from time to time in various venues.
Years back, I was a corporate customer of Dell Computers. And, on one of our executive excursions to visit Dell we were taking a factory tour of one of the facilities that manufacturers the PC’s. We were brought to the entrance of the facility by our host and we were waiting in the lobby to be picked up by the person who would tour us through the factory floors and building.
While we were waiting another gentleman entered, went to the front desk, signed, in told the receptionist who he came to see and was waiting in the lobby as well. He was a service technician, carrying a toolbox, wearing workers overalls and a tool-belt; I would guess probably HVAC or electrician. Anyway, our tour guide found their way to the lobby and at right about the same time the other person who signed in was picked up by the person who they came to see, who was a Dell badged employee- probably in building maintenance.
The building entry way took all visitors down a long wide hall-way, so as we were walking - the Dell maintenance employee and his visitor were just a few steps behind us and I could over hear their conversation. Our tour guide was explaining to us as we walked what was manufactured in this building, what some of the plaques on the walls were, and she would pause along the way to point out what different areas were doing through the glass that was stood up on either side of the hallway, etc. Now, interestingly enough the Dell maintenance worker seemed to be having his own mini-tour with his visitor, who was obviously there to repair a piece of equipment, as they walked down the same hall. He would point towards a glass windows, and tell his visitor ‘this is where they ….”, “see these plaques these are all of the patents we have….”, etc. etc. I was simply astounded that as we were being toured through the building, really just walking towards the main part of the tour, here you had a maintenance employee speaking so proudly of his work-place to a general contractor who came in to effect a repair on a piece of equipment.
But, it got better – I over heard the Dell gentleman asking the contractor “hey what kind of PC do you use at home”, I was almost floored, here he was actually qualifying and selling a Dell PC to his visitor! The hallway eventually ended, and I don’t knew if the Dell maintenance employee ever closed the deal – but what I walked away with was - what did it take to not only create but permeate throughout every employee of the company such a “single minded focus” across the entire DNA of the company – to the point that even the maintenance staff was “selling”. And, during that era of the company’s history it was obvious that the attitude of success and “single minded focus” was permeated from the very top down.
It’s a story I enjoy telling, mostly because it doesn’t need any embellishments – it is what it is – take the right attitude, create a vision, having single minded focus, all well good and necessary but is it enough - now figuring out how to make it part of the fabric of a company, a large one at that - is magic.
* I file this under management, leadership & focus.
Regards,
Peter
November 2007
ps. The time-frame of the above visit was late 90’s that puts Dell in the right context.