Leadership in a Challenging Time
July 22, 2010
Contributed by mentor Terry Bruggeman, Executive Chairman of BioTork, LLC and Evolugate LLC
What a decade! Bookended by 9/11 and the Great Recession, with the emergence of the BRIC nations as global competitors and a near meltdown of the world’s financial system, what are the attributes of a successful leader in the decade to come? What new skills will a leader need to achieve success for his or her organization? Let me share my top seven qualities that I believe a leader will need.
- An “articulate communicator” of a sound well thought out vision for what lies ahead. A particularly tough challenge when both internal and external circumstances require the regular revisiting and revision of that destination vision for the organization. Think of how the iPhone and the iPad have changed the cell phone and pc business or how Google has changed how we all get information.
- A “team builder” of non-traditional teams. 1 in 4 of the U S workforce works part-time, as temps or as contract workers. No longer just a manager of employees today’s leader now needs to quickly build rapport, trust and loyalty with employees, partners, customers and, yes, government regulators. A “coach” and a “mentor” rather than a manager.
- “Salesman-in-chief” selling the values and mutual benefits to everyone the organization touches including the communities in which they operate.
- A “change agent” who understands that yesterday’s best practices may leave your organization in the dust and can make his or her organization flexible, responsive and invigorated rather than restive and bureaucratic.
- An “ethical bottom line thinker”. No, that is not an oxymoron. A leader must balance both a sound return on invested capital and a real respect and integrity in all dealings with customers, employees, governments, partners, suppliers and others. Enron, WorldCom, AIG and other disasters have shaken the faith in the U. S. style of capitalism and each leader must go the extra mile to rebuild that trust. A great leader must set the right tone from the top and help others in the organization to become leaders.
- An “innovator” who can grasp and effectively deploy technology and partnering. To move the organization ahead, a leader must understand his or her organization’s unique skills and strengths and complement them with the resources of others. Going it alone is increasingly difficult. You cannot expect to do the same thing each time and expect a better result.
- A “cheerleader” whose energy, focus, commitment and action orientation draws inspired people to want to join in the achievement of a common goal–the ability to create a human connection. A leader must walk the talk. Work hard, play hard.
Terry Bruggeman is the Executive Chairman of a group of industrial biotechnology companies (BioTork, Evolugate and Entovia) which use a common technology to develop third generation biofuels, to provide non-chemical alternatives for insect and pest control, and for the bioremediation of oil spills. He serves on a number of non-profit boards including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the College of Business at Cal State San Marcos, BIOCOM and the Sanford Burnham Institute for Medical Research.
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Terry:
Great piece!
The game is changing rapidly and I think you’ve put your finger on the profile of what we need.
Wise collaboration – inside and outside – seems to be an emerging theme.
Jeff
Comment by Jeff Campbell — July 23, 2010 @ 5:31 am
Excellent! Any company with a leader having all 7 qualities should overcome challenges that others could not…..and overcome with integrity.
Comment by Dave Thompson — July 23, 2010 @ 8:08 am