|
The Will to Lead
Marvin Bower
Harvard Business School Press, Boston (1997)
It's not often
one gets to recommend a book written with style and pizzazz by
a master of his profession for almost seven decades, the
legendary leader and builder of McKinsey & Company.
Such is my pleasure today.
Book
Review © Dr. Terry J. van der Werff, CMC
|
|
Marvin Bower has written, in his own words, a "cockshy"
of a book, cockshy being an old British word with the meaning here of
writing "something to shoot at."
Bower puts forward the provocative thesis that networks
of leadership teams are necessary for the successful company of the
future. As you read this book, you will be struck by the number of times
your head nods in agreement and by the times you shake your head the
other way. Nods outnumber the shakes.
His contention is that "it takes will, innovation,
and experimentation to develop leaders and leadership teams in a business
so that people can be led to work together more effectively, efficiently,
and harmoniously in achieving the purpose of the business," which in
turn is "to serve customers in an outstanding way." To have an
effective company, leadership must be present throughout the company,
not just at the top.
Of course, there must be leaders at the top too,
and Bower takes as an axiom that the CEO's example is most important,
as is the board's support. An effective CEO must develop a complete
set of qualities and attributes:
Trustworthy - flowing from respect and
dependability
Fair - even-handed and openness
Unassuming behavior - not based on egotism or arrogance
Listening - to be better informed and confront a wider range of opinions
for decision or action
Open-minded - part and parcel of listening to subordinates and colleagues
Sensitive to people - respecting each person and his or feelings
Sensitive to situations - which, of course, are created by people
Initiative - just think a bit, use judgment, and act
Good judgment - "the ability to combine hard data, questionable data,
and intuitive guesses to arrive at a conclusion that events prove to
be correct" (John Gardner)
Broad mindedness - tolerant of the range of human behaviors
Flexibility and adaptability - the natural corollary of open-mindedness
Capacity to make sound and timely decisions - the ultimate test of CEO's
Capacity to motivate - to encourage associates in the company to share
the journey
Sense of urgency - making things happen
Such attributes are found in leaders at every level
of the organization, but they are rarely fully developed without years
of experience and commitment to the task.
Closely linked with these leadership characteristics
are four fundamental responsibilities of company leaders:
- Treating constituents with respect, especially those within the
company.
- Developing constituent self-confidence and self-esteem, for without
these, little happens.
- Developing constituents, bringing along new generations of leaders.
- Making constituents stakeholders, by showing them how the business
as a whole operates for everyone's benefit.
"In a leadership company, decisions must be made
about what leaders and what leadership teams are required to run the
company most effectively." Clear enough, except that most companies
focus on positions to be filled, organization charts, and chains of
command to exercise and follow authority. Leaders work through
people, treat the business as a whole ("holistically"), and pay special
attention to the company's culture.
All well and good you say, but Bower goes a step
further. He distinguishes between operating teams (that populate
the management literature) and leadership teams, with particular attention
to the notion of the leader of the leadership team being primus inter
pares - first among equals. True leaders lead by example and
only occasionally lean on authority to have the "last word" in making
a decision.
Bower then suggests the types of leadership teams
that a well-run company might set up in making a transformation to a
leadership company, followed by advice to the teams on their attitudes,
behaviors, and tasks. Since a leadership company is, by definition,
more of a web than a hierarchy, strong governance principles must be
employed, so Bower rightly ends with a rich and clear discussion of
boards and their responsibilities.
Two appendices contain an interview with John Whitehead
(former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs) on chairman teams and the corporate
governance guidelines of General Motors, both fine additions to Bower's
text.
"The Will to Lead" is a pithy, personal, and provocative
guide that invites you to map out a journey of renewal of your company.
It's like a good stew - a careful blending of many different ingredients.
It tastes good, and you know you have been nourished.
