I am Not a CareTaker Kind of Leader!

"But by my nature, I’m not a caretaker kind of leader. So I wanted to set an ambitious agenda for how to make Stanford better." ~ John Hennessy, The Inside the Mind of the CEO Interview, Spring 2020 issue of strategy+business.

Reading is so powerful. Have you ever came across phrases, that many may overlook but it stuck with you? The above comment caught me on my birthday evaluating and planning my future. Considering what kind of leader am I. For most of my career, I embraced the title of Transformational and still comfortable with it. But I knew it was more to it than that. When I read this article, the words, "I'm not a caretaker kind of leader. So I wanted to set an ambitious agenda..." describes my attitude.

As a leader, with or without a title, one must not get caught up in celebrating the trappings of influence. Yet realize the immense responsibility of meeting objectives and enhancing the quality of life. This requires that we develop a culture that will prepare people for implementation, innovation, synergy and success. In the workforce, we hire talent that unbeknownst to us has insecurities and weaknesses. No, we are not professional counselors but if we do not help them deal with their issues, we will never acquire the talent needed for success. That is when transformational leadership and emotional intelligence becomes essential. People love to be around successful and charismatic leaders. But if you empower them they will, for some, the first time in their lives, feel powerful. Combine that with synergy and the company acquires the projected success.

But I regress to caretaker leadership. There are some who will be satisfied with maintaining the status quo. If we have not learned anything over the last decade, is that organizations must evolve to stay relevant and profitable. With that in mind, maintenance, status quo is not a good career decision.

Three letters, W-H-Y? Is the beginning of your answers to exponential growth. This question must permeate throughout the organization. Evaluation, feedback, input, ideas, innovation must come from the frontline to the boardroom. Then it must move to the organization clients/customers, prospects and other audience members to share their experiences, ideas, and needs. By embracing data and relationships the organization should create a viable plan and vision that can be communicated with all.

I remember a conversation I had with the Chairman of the Board of a small software company. He spoke glowingly about market share and the product line that was highly profitable. But I was looking past the present success to the next generation of innovation. He thought it foolish to invest more in Research and Development and found it hilarious that I wanted to recruit more creative and younger personnel. He was satisfied with where the company was. I left the company and they had a good 7-year run. But they lost momentum and were acquired by a previously smaller competitor.

A leader does not need to have all the answers but he/she will serve themselves well by opening the whole organization, including processes and golden territories to the question of WHY. Only then can organizations become flexible, innovative, inspirational, to become a destination for talent and create an ambitious agenda for the future.

I am a visionary who transforms organizations and talent to identify their excellence. I am not a caretaker!

Give the full article a read, it provides awesome insights. https://www.strategy-business.com/article/John-Hennessys-higher-learning?gko=1d2fd&utm_source=itw&utm_medium=itw20200319&utm_campaign=resp