Reflection & Wonder

“Quality people must be managed with customized approaches. The idea is to create a hothouse where young talent is nourished by our culture and people are encouraged to think creatively, think deeply, think about the long-term client relationship - but above all, think. I want them to reflect on what they are doing and why, and then wonder, ‘Can we do better?’"

(Bruce Wasserstein, Chairman and CEO of Lazard LLC, in “The HBR Interview: Bruce Wasserstein, Giving Great Advice.” by Thomas A Stewart, Gardiner Morse. Harvard Business Review: January 2008. Vol. 86, Iss. 1; p. 106)

Blind Passion?

“While we should pursue solutions with great enthusiasm, we should also be respectful of their limitations and not oversell ourselves… on any one solution as the answer. The answer will only be found after an honest, factual and multifaceted evaluation of ourselves.”

(Thomas Priselac, President and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System, in “Honesty in Leadership.” by Thomas Priselac, Mary Grayson. Hospitals & Health Networks: October 2007. Vol. 81, Iss. 10; pg. 30)

A Piece of Cake! (?)

"I've always felt that the best way to create value for our shareholders is to create value for our customers and, to do that, you have to have motivated, trained and happy employees. It's important to stay focused on the common mid- and long-term interests of these three pillars of the company. That's why I've always preferred having direct contact with our people and partners."

(Remi Marcoux, founder and Excecutive Chairman of Transcontinental, in “Extraordinary Vision.” Printing Impressions: April 2007. Vol. 49, Iss. 11; pg. V)

Why?

"We wanted employees to have an outlet for telling us about rules that make no sense and inhibit our internal processes or member services. It all goes back to the idea of questioning the status quo. At the very least, it prompts employees to look more closely at our rules and procedures and question why we have them.”

(Kimberley Withers, President and CEO of Meridian Trust Federal Credit Union, in “Eyes On The Prize.” by Diane Franklin. Credit Union Management: December 2007. Vol. 30, Iss. 12; pg. 14)

First, Let Go

“There's a proverb that I teach people in the company. It goes something like ‘Empathy is not just about walking in another's shoes. First you must remove your own shoes.’ You have to get past your own blinders and biases and assumptions before you can see with clear eyes what's really going on.”

(Scott Cook, founder and Chairman of Intuit, in “Cook's Recipe.” by David Lidsky, David Whitford. FSB : Fortune Small Business: February 2004. Vol. 14, Iss. 1; pg. 76)

In Touch & Feeling Deeply

“You have to have compassion when you interact with people, and you have to take it slow, listen carefully, talk carefully, and even take the time to laugh -- that, to me, is critical. It's also critical to really hear and understand the realities of what's being said, rather than just what we think we want to hear. I know all of that seems simple, but believe me, you'd be surprised at how often it's overlooked.”

(Dorothy Coleman, CEO of United-Healthcare of Southwest Ohio, in “Personal Touch.” by Bill Gillette. Managed Healthcare Executive: January 2005. Vol. 15, Iss. 1; pg. 28)

The Art of Leadership

“I never reply straight on e-mail. I want to see the person, see the whites of their eyes. It makes a huge difference, seeing the whites of someone's eyes - it can really move me.”

(Chris Hyman, CEO of Serco, in “Chris Hyman.” by Chris Blackhurst. Management Today: December 2007. pg. 46)

Your Core Competence

“Be real. Be you, not what you think you should be to fit into someone else's definition of what you should be. Once you start moving away from being who you are at your core, your ability to remain truly authentic, to have real credibility, will slowly and very insidiously diminish. And one day you'll wonder what has happened to you – the real you.”

(Ann M. Fudge, CEO of Young & Rubicam, in “Memos From The CEOs.” by Caroline V. Clarke. Black Enterprise: February 2005. Vol. 35, Iss. 7; pg. 154)

Getting in Touch

"There is, particularly in global organizations, more of a need to reach out and touch in a personal way. You can make it feel more personalized through technology, but technology has its limits and nothing beats people being in a room together."

(Rona Fairhead, CEO of the Financial Times Group, in “CEOs Stand Divided On Social Media.” by Sona Hathi. Strategic Communication Management: December 2007 / January 2008. Vol. 12, Iss. 1; pg. 9)

Warning!

“If I see someone who is cocky, a huge red light flashes - they will damage the company.”

(Chris Hyman, CEO of Serco, in “Chris Hyman.” by Chris Blackhurst. Management Today: December 2007. pg. 46)