| This article was published in the Nov. 2003 edition | | | | over. He becomes locked (at best) in his current |
| of Hamilton, Ontario's BIZ Magazine under the title | | | | position or (worse) shifted to even more |
| "Leadership's Triple Crown" LMWhat does it take | | | | managerial-heavy (and thus, lower on the |
| to be the head of a small business, a department | | | | leadership continuum) responsibilities. Moving |
| manager, or even a corporate CEO? The | | | | forward requires the soft skills of leadership. |
| effective director isn't one persona but three: a | | | | Vision and courage are absolutely essential for |
| Visionary, a Manager, and a Mentor/Coach. A | | | | delegation as well as the ability to trust others and |
| leader must be capable in all three roles and must | | | | to get of the way, allowing people to make their |
| have the proper perspective of their relative | | | | own mistakes.As the leader grows, he must not |
| importance for him, in his position, at this time and | | | | only delegate his managerial tasks, but also |
| place in his career. A tall order, complicated | | | | transition from being "hands on" to "hands off". No |
| further by those roles never being static, shifting | | | | one, particularly those higher on the corporate |
| with circumstance, the business climate, | | | | food chain, likes to be micromanaged. Being able |
| organizational needs and with the individual's | | | | to affectively assess the level of one's |
| preferences and abilities.The Leader as | | | | involvement and required degree of tracking in |
| VisionaryThe visionary is the one who handles the | | | | delegated assignments is the main skill leap |
| creation or inspiring of goal-directed action. This | | | | between the leader as manager and the leader as |
| leader is the man, or woman, with the plan.The | | | | mentor/coach.Steve Thompson of Brantford, |
| senior manager, CEO, president, general manager | | | | Ontario-based Stellarc Precision Bar is one |
| or owner has a fundamental responsibility to | | | | executive mastering this tricky delegation |
| "Create the Vision." The illusory definition of who, | | | | balancing act in his leadership style. Thompson |
| as a company, we are, what we do and why, | | | | wasn't really sure where his skills needed |
| where we are, where we're going and how we | | | | development, he had only an uneasy feeling that |
| get there from here. Once that vision is defined -- | | | | he was spending a lot of time "spinning his |
| and that's no easy task -- the leader must | | | | wheels." So, he came to The Leadership Centre |
| articulate it in terms the will enable, even compel, | | | | for support. When he began to recognize how |
| others to buy in and dedicate themselves to it. In | | | | much of a "hands on" manager he was, he |
| other words, agree to follow. To quote author | | | | resolved to make immediate changes. He |
| John C. Maxwell, "If you think you are a leader | | | | reorganized offices, added responsibilities to all of |
| but have no followers, you're not leading, you're | | | | his departmental managers and provided personal |
| just going for a walk."The visionary, however, is | | | | productivity, leadership and time management |
| not just a dreamer. The plan must translate into | | | | training.His new focus on giving his managers the |
| action. The leader is the one who must outline a | | | | responsibility and authority to get things done -- |
| clear, specific, and effective strategy for bringing | | | | rather than doing them himself -- has given him |
| the vision to life. This "plan" isn't just a simple | | | | time and freedom to focus on new visions and |
| timeline. You can't say you intend to land on the | | | | new directions for the company as well as on |
| moon next year without considering how to build | | | | some important personal goals. In the past three |
| the rocket required for getting there. The vision | | | | years he has more than doubled the size of the |
| will fail without a reasonable estimate of the | | | | plant, added a million dollar state of the art bar |
| necessary resources, including capital, facilities, | | | | processing line and brought in a new, dynamic |
| equipment, people and talents essential to a | | | | plant manager all while reducing his own work |
| successful implementation. Determining what is | | | | week to about fifty hours from a grueling |
| needed, how to acquire it, and where best to | | | | seventy hour schedule.The Leader as Mentor |
| deploy assets is fundamental to making a vision | | | | CoachSome 80 per cent of people say they are |
| reality. Any map includes milestones along the | | | | not "engaged" at work. They don't like, respect or |
| road and a method for tracking results so that | | | | care about their company, their managers, their |
| everyone involved knows at all times what | | | | fellow workers or their customers. What's truly |
| progress is being made. You would run out of gas | | | | scary about this scenario is that the overwhelming |
| on the highway without a fuel gage. Don't expect | | | | number of these employees have no immediate |
| your people to complete a journey without an | | | | plans to change jobs. They don't believe things |
| idea of how far they have to go and what | | | | are any better someplace else. Is there a |
| resources they have to get there.A leader's ability | | | | measure of personal responsibility for this |
| not only to be a visionary but to convey that | | | | situation? Definitely. But whose job is it, ultimately, |
| message powerfully enough so employees want | | | | to help change the situation? The leader as |
| to strive for that goal has a direct impact on the | | | | mentor/coach.Of the three fundamental roles of |
| company's bottom line. The clearest example I | | | | the executive, this is the one that most affects |
| know of this is two well-known Hamilton, Ontario | | | | the continuing growth of both people and the |
| companies located just down the street from | | | | organization. It is also the face of leadership |
| each other but miles apart in direction, focus, and | | | | requiring the highest level of soft skills. The |
| profitability. I'm talking of course about Canada's | | | | mentor/coach must have the self confidence to |
| two largest steelmakers Dofasco and | | | | not see growing the potential of others as |
| Stelco.Dofasco, with a clear vision, and a history | | | | personally threatening. The mentor focuses |
| of strong leadership, is seeing major returns even | | | | outward on results -- not inward on actions; on |
| during tough economic times for the steel | | | | strengths and on what can be -- not on |
| industry as a whole. The story is completely | | | | weakness and what is impossible.The mentor |
| different a few blocks away. At Stelco, there | | | | maintains focus on the goal, the vision, and the |
| seems to be a focus on the bricks, mortar, and | | | | "quest for the grail" that drives ordinary people to |
| machinery as the corporate essence without a | | | | extraordinary performance. It has been said that |
| real sense of where the company is going and | | | | everyone has it in him or her to be a superstar in |
| why. The absence of apparent vision and feeling | | | | some field, in some role. The mentor helps a |
| of corporate destiny breeds apathy in the | | | | person define his or her strengths to build on |
| workforce and leads to no feeling of | | | | them, to strengthen them, to find or create a |
| accomplishment or pride in their work. It's just a | | | | role where these strengths can be utilized to their |
| place to earn a living and to get away from as | | | | fullest potential. With proper mentoring, a person's |
| soon as possible. In a recent meeting with a Vice | | | | weaknesses -- and we all have them -- do not |
| President I was told that in one mill, "wrench time" | | | | matter. People are driving their careers on a road |
| (the time that maintenance people actually charge | | | | that leverages their superstar qualities.The |
| to specific jobs) was down to 90 minutes per | | | | mentor-leader grows individuals, departments, and |
| shift compared to the industry average of 4 | | | | the entire organization by helping to set SMART -- |
| hours, and no one can see a way to improve | | | | specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, |
| it.While the absence of vision and poor | | | | and timely -- goals. SMART goals at each level |
| atmosphere are not the sole factors in the | | | | must reflect and support the overall corporate |
| company's decline, it's hard to argue with their | | | | vision. By forging that link between individual |
| lack of success. Stelco again reported a net loss | | | | performance and how it directly impacts on the |
| of $82 million in second quarter 2003, more bad | | | | bottom line, the mentor-leader is engaging the |
| news after a first quarter net loss of $44 | | | | employee, making him or her part of the plan, not |
| million.Stelco is now trying to stop the | | | | a victim of it. Influencing others through |
| hemorrhaging with a change in leadership. Jim | | | | consensus building and buy-in strategies is a key |
| Alfano stepped down as President and CEO in | | | | mentor-leader skill.Effective mentoring/coaching |
| July, replaced on an interim basis with Fred | | | | skills are at the root of a striking turn-around |
| Telmer, Stelco's Chairman of the Board. While | | | | story at Hamilton's ailing National Steel Car. The |
| Telmer heads the transition team, the search is | | | | company, founded in 1912, designs and |
| on for a new CEO. "Has vision" should be at the | | | | manufactures railroad freight equipment. But the |
| top of the qualification checklist.Results rest on | | | | company was on a bumpy track a few years |
| the shoulders of the visionary, no effective leader | | | | back until it brought in Dan Elliott, the former |
| acts alone. The senior leader may only create an | | | | President of Wabco Freight Car products in |
| initial "rough draft" of the company plan and must | | | | Stoney Creek, as chief operating officer to help |
| flesh it out through team input. But unless the | | | | turn things. The previous owner/management |
| leader has a clear vision of where he is going, the | | | | seems to have been rather autocratic with little |
| rough draft is likely to remain just that. He must | | | | responsibility vested in even senior managers -- |
| guide the polishing process.As the vision is | | | | not at all in line with Dan's way of thinking -- and |
| disseminated deeper into the organization, internal | | | | the company had slipped from its position as one |
| leaders -- for example, the middle management, | | | | of North America's leading rail car manufacturers. |
| department heads -- are presented with an | | | | Employment had dropped from nearly 3000 to a |
| already defined goal but the process of articulating | | | | mere 300 workers and the company's economic |
| that vision and of directing the rest of the | | | | prospects looked grim.With a senior management |
| process through his or her level of responsibility is | | | | team of about a dozen vice presidents, many of |
| much the same as the view from the top. After | | | | them in their early to mid thirties, Elliott began the |
| all, leadership exists at every level in a company. | | | | process of rebuilding the company's vitality. The |
| Even when the plan reaches the "shop floor", | | | | mixture of youth and experience would succeed |
| every employee can learn to take responsibility | | | | only if everyone believed in the future and |
| for self direction in accepting personal responsibility | | | | proactively worked to make the corporate vision |
| for his or her actions, results and focus on the | | | | a reality. To achieve this, Elliott took on the task |
| corporate goal.The Leader as ManagerA manager, | | | | of mentoring his VPs in setting departmental and |
| by definition, manages. In other words, the | | | | individual SMART goals and then monitoring |
| manager must plan the processes, create the | | | | progress.The new focus on the vision, with |
| rules, assign responsibilities, direct activity, provide | | | | everyone knowing where they want to go and |
| training, focus efforts, control costs, measure | | | | committing themselves to getting it done, is |
| progress and report on results. The "leader as | | | | working like magic. Not the process has been an |
| manager" is the one with the "hard skills" -- the | | | | entirely smooth one. The long term people found |
| planning and organizing, the number crunching, the | | | | it difficult at first to accept and believe in the new |
| industry, equipment and process knowledge. This | | | | responsibilities entrusted to them but now, just |
| is the foundation of leadership on which true | | | | over a year into the transition, the VPs are |
| leaders build their soft skill development.The key | | | | emulating Elliott's style and their people, in turn, |
| to being a successful manager-leader is the ability | | | | are emulating them.Elliot supports his VPs on a |
| to troubleshoot. That is, to find solutions to | | | | daily basis, mentoring and coaching individually and |
| problems and make effective decisions that will | | | | collectively, while ensuring they know he believes |
| keep them from reoccurring. The manager | | | | in them, trusts their decision making abilities and is |
| shouldn't be just putting out fires; he should be | | | | prepared to back them up. The result so far -- |
| preventing them. The ratio of prevented crisis to | | | | National Steel Car is regaining its top industry |
| reactive problem solving is the main indicator of | | | | position, employee levels are back up around the |
| the effective manager-leader. If the leader is | | | | 1500 mark and the company, despite overall |
| always running around with a bucket of water, | | | | market slumps, is making steady progress |
| sooner or later someone is going to figure out if | | | | towards real profitability. Vision, mentoring and |
| he's always putting out the same type of fires. | | | | delegation of managerial responsibilities are |
| Either he lacks the necessary planning, | | | | combining here to make a huge difference.Three |
| organization, influence, and resourcing skills to | | | | leaders in oneTo be truly great, a leader must |
| manage or he has failed to build on his hard skill | | | | comfortably and effectively wear all three "faces". |
| foundation to bring his leadership to the next | | | | Strong managers may not have a clear picture of |
| growth level. If the leader brings nothing more to | | | | where they are headed, dreamers may not get |
| the role than the ability to problem solve, the | | | | the job done and mentors will find it difficult to |
| company doesn't have a firefighter, it potentially | | | | grow others if they are not first secure in both |
| has an arsonist -- someone who consciously or | | | | their own hard and soft competencies. Defining |
| unconsciously creates the conditions that require | | | | the fundamental skills required is the first step in |
| his skill set. If the operation runs from one inferno | | | | developing one's leadership potential. The leader |
| to the next, when does anyone have time to | | | | must then be willing to recognize his limitations and |
| grow the business? The company suffers. No | | | | weakness and be committed to continuous |
| matter how addictive the rush of being the | | | | learning and development. This sort of honest |
| "go-to" person can be, nobody can run on high | | | | self-evaluation, willingness to build on strengths and |
| octane forever. The leader, his performance, as | | | | address development areas is fundamental on the |
| well as his quality of life outside of work, all | | | | road to the top. That journey can span a career |
| deteriorate. What the arsonist has done thinking it | | | | but the pay-off is a successful, prosperous and |
| will make him essential will eventually burn him out | | | | growing organization with you at the helm.Len |
| of a career.Time spent on the managerial role is | | | | McNally is President and founder (in 1996) of The |
| on a continuum. The more junior the leader, the | | | | Leadership Centre, dedicated to leadership |
| more time -- as much as 80 per spent -- is spent | | | | development, management team building and |
| on the management functions. The senior | | | | change management through executive and |
| executive dedicates less than 20 per cent of his | | | | corporate coaching - from the top floor to the |
| time to "managing". While the CEO must always | | | | shop floor. With more than thirty years |
| pay attention and be aware of what is going on, | | | | experience in sales, marketing and business |
| managerial tasks are an effective subordinate | | | | development Len has for many years been an |
| developing tool and are among the first to be | | | | avid student of psychology, behavior and |
| delegated.If a leader can not delegate, he creates | | | | motivation. He still reads three to four books a |
| a development and succession bottleneck. | | | | month and has writen several book reviews for |
| Essentially, he is limiting his own potential for | | | | He can be reached at (519) 759-1127 or email: |
| advancement by not cultivating talent to take | | | | the.leadership.centre@sympatico.ca. |