Leadership: what's your cool quotient?

Published: 2011-08-22 There are 2 comments ... please add yours below

You can lead successfully with different approaches but the right basics make a difference

keeping from being either too boring or too frightening to follow

London’s Financial Times commented as follows after Apple briefly overtook Exxon as the world’s most highly-capitalised business. “A cool company run by a cool executive (briefly) ruled the corporate world.” That it “ousted an unhip energy company only made it cooler.” An academic adds that cool comes in two sub-types - what I’ll call “together cool” and “far-out cool”. Perhaps, Rupert Murdoch and Warren Buffett exemplify the first - the older, quieter, more assured version. And, Richard Branson and Larry Ellison the second - more maverick and exhibitionist. The FT recommends* mixing both approaches - but gets sidetracked on style. So, let’s explore what leadership actions might give you “combo cool”.

Build market knowledge and a basis for competitive advantage: all four of our heroes show deep insight into their markets and, above all, demonstrate creative intuition about where those markets are headed. They also understand what winners must do to outperform.
Have bottom-up technical understanding: once more, our four tick these boxes – though, more recently, Murdoch has struggled at times in the new media.
Take charge, communicate and have the stamina to win: yet again, our four all lead from the front, promote a vision and relentlessly drive their businesses. Notwithstanding age, illness or setbacks.
Recognise internal limits and the risk of external shocks: each member of our team has come to terms with these challenges. Branson had some serious early setbacks; as did Murdoch when his group went overstretched into an economic downturn some years back.
Drive accountability and take tough decisions: none of our group fails to act if their businesses or people under-perform or act inappropriately. Though, Buffett was tested here in the last 12 months. And Murdoch very recently.
Build teams and commitment from employees: notwithstanding ruthless and egocentric behaviour, all our cool kids build strong allegiance – albeit with Ellison creating enemies as well.
Innovate, reinvent and re-jig priorities continuously: the nature of Buffett’s business model is relatively stable but the others are all highly adaptive – both technically and competitively.

So, if each of our foursome is pretty good at all the above, then what differentiates “together cool” from “far-out cool”? To my mind, not much. The four have surprisingly similar profiles when it comes to actions rather than images. Buffett may be old and avuncular, Murdoch old and grumpy, Branson always on display and Ellison into feuds … but so what.

Too often we (and the media) talk about image and style rather than substance. My advice? Focus on taking the right leadership actions. Notwithstanding personal quirks, that’s what Warren, Rupert, Richard and Larry do best. Each a cool cat! What’s your view?

* http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/857b3250-c45d-11e0-ad9a-00144feabdc0.html

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" ... process is superb" Paul Sprokkreeff, CEO Web Profits Pty Ltd
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Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®

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Comments (2)

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2011/08/23 08:03 am

Dear Phadke,

Many thanks for your long and reflective comment below.

You're so right about the power of the daily grind and our tendency to fall back into short-term and default behaviours.

I saw this yesterday in a meeting with a CEO. He's always asking for initiatives to moved ahead rapidly. However, once the meeting is over, he is the one most likely to get buried in old rather than the new priorities. I took the risk of pointing this out - and, at last, I think I may have his attention on the issue. As we all know, if the CEO changes his/her behaviour, it's what will most shift what others do.

Re Shri. Narayan Murthy (who is only a name to me), it's sad how the work of some of the best thinkers gets lost in the fog and noise of the numberless articles and books that get printed on strategy, leadership and other aspects of business practice.

The management world needs something akin to the peer review process that operates in science. That approach isn't perfect but it's surely better than the free-for-all that allows light-weight nonsense to masquerade as wisdom.

Again thank you,

Timothy

Phadke S. N. - date: 2011/08/22 04:33 pm

Namaste Dr. Timothy Sir,

Thanks a lot for above potshot. All the tips & tricks proposed & suggested by you, are simple, easy to read, easy to understand & easy to adopt.

But the fact of life, people do read above-mentioned tips/tricks daily but as soon as they get in to their daily of professional life and/or personal life? They get caught in their daily emergencies, they don't follow these tips/tricks, they don't adopt these tips/tricks and above all, they become victim of habits.

Today, entire IT India and IT global world knows Infosys & Shri. Narayan Murthy and then Mr. Steve Jobs of Apple.

But how many Indian IT companies and global IT companies follow what Shri. Narayan Murthy learned and/or Mr. Steve Jobs learned. Very less and/or nothing. Entire 30 years of learning of Shri. Narayan Murthy is available on various web platforms in the form of article, interviews, books, etc.

But I am yet to see one IT company from India who is using already invented wheel (found by Shri. Narayan Murthy).

In fact, my personal experience confirms to me that as soon as little success comes to IT companies, these so called founders have become victim of bad habits in terms of living luxurious life, watching too much of TV, investing too much time in eating, investing too much of time in hearing loose talks and so on. In turn, having the capability to reach the height of Infosys and/or more than Infosys, these firms loose out the game because of (bad) habits.

More over, start-ups, they even don't read history facts and in turn, they create same history & mistakes happened in history. And this is not happening only in IT, but it is happening in homes, it is happening in societies, it is happening in colonies and it is happening in nation including government.

I thank you for sharing these tips/tricks.

Sincerely I Remain,

Phadke S. N.
City: Pune
State: Maharashtra
Country: India.

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Leadership: what's your cool quotient?

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