Leadership Talent Requirements In The Time of Adversity and Crisis

Friends and colleagues, I have questions regarding changing leadership talent needs during this unique time and would appreciate your thoughts and comments. 

Please bear with me as I share context. I’ve been reflecting on leadership talent needs during crises.  Mayor Giuliani comes to mind immediately, however I find General Ulysses S. Grant*, leader of the Civil War Union Army, was more demonstrative for our times.

Grant did not have the typical attributes of a war hero. He was diminutive and stooped in stature, he was an average student, he was a business failure many times over and was taken advantage of from youth to manhood. Yet, this man did as much as any man to abolish slavery because he believed it was the right thing to do. He was convicted and focused.

The great abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass, viewed Grant as “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race,”

Have you ever seen the wrong business leader hired because the talent attributes did not align with the role requirements? Possibly the hire was made because of who they know, the university attended or how they dressed and carried themself. In hindsight we may all agree more work should have been done pre-hire to determine the role requirements, gathering input from multiple stakeholders for optimum alignment and agreement. And putting a strategic hiring process in place to vet for the right talent skills and attributes would have suited the situation much better.

Consider General Grant’s attributes?

• He was humble 
• He practiced humility.
• He listened intently and rarely shared his opinion unless asked.
• He found the good in others first - always.
• He did not judge others for emotions sake
• He worked alongside his troops and did not give an order he would not carry out himself and many times did, including on the field of battle.
• His family was his priority. (he joined the military because he failed at business and needed a career)
• He was steadfast in all situations, rarely showing emotion. 
• He had the innate ability to see the big picture
• He could multitask
• He was decisive
• When he made a mistake he quickly changed course with confidence

Grant’s attributes were not sought, they were the man and he rose to his position through divine providence or coincidence. He did not have the resume of a leader so would not have been easily found if sought. In fact he had been kicked out of the Army and had to ask on multiple occasions to be reinstated because of the war

As our economy returns, your company does not have the luxury of waiting on serendipitous leaders to fall in your lap. And the right leaders are needed now, we do not have time to waste or lose. Rather we must consciously determine the right leadership talent we need for these times and ensure we have processes in place to attract, hire and retain.

Questions...comments welcomed

• Should we, at this time, rethink how we determine the skills and attributes we need and seek in our business leaders?
• If so, how?
• Do we start now or wait until the leadership talent needed is upon us?

If interested in discussing further please email [email protected]

All comments welcomed and appreciated

*Grant by Ron Chernow