Let us know who you’d like to see on our ‘virtual couch’ next month.

How self-aware are you? Self-awareness is a critical component of leadership. It affects the impact you have on others, your ability to read those around you, and whether you see opportunities as a threat or a challenge. 

To help our clients become more self-aware we often ask them to diagnose the leadership style of other famous, or infamous, leaders. The idea being we see things in others before we see them in ourselves and, using another leaders achievements, temperament, background and approach provides a mirror with which to diagnose our own style – warts and all.

Try it yourself. Spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with Dunlap’s achievements, personality, strengths and vulnerabilities and then use this information to diagnose his leadership style. You will have chance to compare your insights with ours at the end of the ‘analysis’.

If you want to take the exercise a step-further take our leadership diagnostic to compare yourself with some of the best in the business or call or email us for a free consult.

On the Couch

Al ‘Chainsaw’ Dunlap came to prominence in the 1990’s as the quintessential corporate raider. His method of slash-and-burn won admirers both in the senior ranks of his company as well as on Wall Street. That was until performance tanked, shares went into free-fall and his supporters turned against him. Dunlap joins other corporate titans like Jeffrey Skilling of Enron, lauded for their leadership then vilified for their results.

Albert Dunlap was born in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1937 the only son of Albert Senior, a shipyard union steward, and Mildred, his overbearing mother. As a child he was described as short-tempered, obstinate and prone to fits of rage. When asked about his childhood Dunlap would describe a series of brutal hardships that he had to endure and overcome despite the fact that his family was relatively well off for the times.

After leaving school Dunlap went to West Point, the military academy in New York State, which he described as ‘the best business school in the world’. After graduating toward the bottom of his class Dunlap took a series of jobs before landing as CEO of Scott Paper where the real story of ‘Chainsaw’ begins. Over the course of several years he made a reputation for himself as a champion of ‘shareholder capitalism’. An ideology based on the belief that corporations exist for the benefit of one group only – the shareholders. According to ‘Chainsaw’, customers, employees and the local community were irrelevant and as long as he served the interests of his shareholders (and himself), he was untouchable. Such was Dunlap’s hubris that he christened himself, ‘America’s #1 CEO’, and wrote a book about his methods entitled ‘Mean Business’ - I’m sure no pun intended!

Working for Dunlap was described as an exercise in misery. His ability to instill fear into his executive team, and the rank and file of the organization, ensured no one had the courage to defy him.  He was a master at using coercive power – forcing people to bend to his will. It literally was his way or the highway. Employees had to work impossibly long-hours, enduring his taunts and bullying behavior, to try and reach impossibly high sales and productivity goals. Interestingly all his executive team privately agreed the goals were unobtainable but were pressurized by Dunlap to meet them. Dunlap’s overall strategy was to create so much fear that he fashioned a compliant, dependent and demoralized workforce. In his book ‘Chainsaw: The Notorious Career of Al Dunlap”, John Byrne writes “In Dunlap’s presence, knees trembled and stomachs churned. At his worst, he became viciously profane, even violent … he would throw papers and furniture, bang his hands on the desk, and shout so ferociously that a manager’s hair would be blown back by the stream of air that rushed from Dunlap’s mouth. “Hair spray day” became a code phrase among execs, signifying a potential tantrum.” (1)

It would be easy to dismiss Dunlap as all bad, an extreme caricature of the worst possible leader. But diagnosing leadership behavior isn’t always black-and-white. Dunlap was also described as, ‘decisive, a hard worker, and loyal (but only to very few business associates and subordinates)’. When asked about his ‘tough guy’ image Dunlap commented, “I’m a no-nonsense person. I’m there to challenge people beyond what they’ve ever been challenged before.”

It has to be said his extreme methods did deliver results for his shareholders – increasing the market value of Scott Paper by $6.4 billion, and increasing shares of Lily Tulip Corp from $1.77 to $18.55 in his two-and-a-half-year tenure. Business analyst David Plotz argues that to criticize Dunlap for his viciousness would be like “scolding a lion for killing an antelope”. It’s in his nature. Struggling companies do need to become more efficient and effective to survive and that often means reducing the workforce. What Dunlap failed to deliver on, or probably see as important, was building a thriving, vibrant organization that, in the words of Jim Collin’s, was built to last. (2)

Your diagnosis – some questions to consider:

• How does Dunlap’s leadership style compare to yours? How might he be like you? How are you different?
• How might you deal with a person like Dunlap? Would he intimidate or infuriate you?
• What are Dunlap’s strengths? For example how would you describe his results orientation?
• Does Dunlap show personality traits of a perfectionist, a narcissist or someone who is anti-social?
• Is your team or business built to last?

Our diagnosis of Dunlap’s Leadership Style

Diagnosing Dunlap’s leadership style using our model of conviction and connection identifies him as an extreme C1 Leader, with exceptionally high convictions but totally lacking in the ability to connect with his team or employees (3). It’s very doubtful anyone working with Dunlap would say that he brought the best out in them. Looking at Dunlap’s style in more detail his leadership behavior can be defined as ‘Aggressive-Critical’. The keynote of this behavior is the expression of aggression. This may manifest itself as detachment and withdrawal, passive aggressive behavior, or, as in Dunlap’s case, out and out confrontation. Signature behaviors include; bluntness, criticism, cynicism and distrust. These leaders are likely to ignore the needs, wants, opinions, feelings or beliefs of others in favor of their own and constantly see any topic or idea as a contest of wills to win at all costs. These people are less interested in maintaining relationships as in ‘being right’. As such they are more likely to use ‘role’ or ‘coercive’ power to get things done than rely on referent power or personal expertise. This style inspires fear, distrust and anxiety.

It’s also important to consider whether Dunlap was suffering from a full-blown personality disorder. His anger, sense of entitlement, exploitative nature and complete lack of empathy points to a man with a narcissistic personality disorder. Many highly successful individuals display personality traits that might be considered narcissistic but in Dunlap’s case his persistent inflexibility, sense of entitlement and grandiosity, point to a more chronic, full-blown manifestation of the disorder.

Endnote

The rise and fall of Dunlap is also a cautionary tale for our times. His greatest fans were the financial markets and business analysts. Chainsaw was lauded for his ability to turn-around companies even if it meant misery for many employees and communities. Make no mistake Dunlap was a gifted change agent. He did exactly what he set out to do: make money. The learning from Dunlap’s leadership is that things haven’t changed much. The recent rise and fall of the financial markets is what happens when you get a cadre of leaders who put profit before all else. If no one challenges these people, industry continues to be deregulated, and business analysts continue to focus solely on celebrity leaders we will continue to have the ghosts of Dunlap shaping organizations and determining markets for many years to come.

References

(1)    Byrne, J. A. (2003). ‘Chainsaw: The Notorious Career of Al Dunlap in the Era of Profit-At-Any-Price’. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 432p

(2)    Collins, J. & Porras, J. I. (2004). ‘Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies’. New York: Harper Business, 368p

(3)    Rowley, A. R. (2007). ‘Leadership Therapy: Inside the Mind of Microsoft’. New York: Palgrave: MacMillan, 243p

How self-aware are you? Self-awareness is a critical component of leadership. It affects the impact you have on others, your ability to read those around you, and whether you see opportunities as a threat or a challenge. 

To help our clients become more self-aware we often ask them to diagnose the leadership style of other famous, or infamous, leaders. The idea being we see things in others before we see them in ourselves and, using another leaders achievements, temperament, background and approach provides a mirror with which to diagnose our own style – warts and all.

Try it yourself. Spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with Booker’s achievements, personality, strengths and vulnerabilities and then use this information to diagnose her leadership style. You will have chance to compare your insights with ours at the end of the ‘analysis’.

If you want to take the exercise a step-further take our leadership diagnostic to compare yourself with some of the best in the business or call or email us for a free consult.

On The Couch

Cory Booker is one of the new breed of African American politicians, highly educated, articulate, media savvy and post-racial. As Mayor of Newark New Jersey he has been praised for his deep convictions of social justice, fairness and reform. 

Booker was born in Washington DC in 1969. His parents, Cary Booker Sr. and Carolyn Booker were amongst the first African-Americans to hold executive positions with IBM. Both were actively involved in the civil rights movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Booker often talks about the influence his parents had on his reasons to run for public office.

At school Booker was described as a gregarious, well behaved, bright and even tempered. He received a full scholarship to play football at Stanford University in California. He supplemented his studies with roles in student government and volunteering at a crisis-counseling hotline. It was whilst working at the hotline that he took a call that proved to be a turning point in his life. He took a call from a person threatening to jump off a building. Booker reflected, “I remember having this profound conversation about why he shouldn’t jump, and it was almost a gift to me. I’ll never forget the power I felt when he touched hands for me to pull him over. And at that moment, I realized, ‘What am I doing? I don’t want to be a football player. I want to get back to the business of making connections with people through my work”. (1)

Booker left Stanford having won a Rhodes scholarship to attend Oxford University in England. During his time in Oxford he caused some consternation when he joined a Jewish student group. Booker, a Baptist, said at the time he would become more Christian by learning about other religions. Despite calls for him to be dismissed Booker showed his organizational skills and leadership by becoming the group’s president and increasing the numbers of non-Jewish students who joined the organization.

In 1998 he returned from England and, after spending a short time working with the disadvantaged, he ran successfully for a seat on Newark’s Municipal Council, defeating a 16-year incumbent and well-entrenched councilman. Over the next few years Newark’s residents saw Booker stage a 10-day hunger strike to protest over the dangerous conditions of Newark’s neighborhoods and run for mayor (2). The Mayoral race was divisive. The incumbent Sharpe James accused Booker as not ‘being black enough’ and the contest was summarized as ‘a case study in the nationwide clash pitting reformers vs. the establishment, the afflicted vs. the comfortable, the politics of ideas vs. the politics of dirty tricks’. When the votes were counted James beat Booker by .06%. (3)

In 2006 Booker ran again for the office of mayor. On Election Day he won with 72% of the vote. Newark has never been the same since. Since taking office Booker has focused his efforts on tackling Newark’s three main problems – violent crime, poverty and poor education. His vision is to make Newark, ‘America’s leading urban city in terms of safety, prosperity, and the nurturing of family life’. (5)

Booker’s leadership has focused on transparency, accountability and accessibility – he takes ‘Management by Walking Around’ to the extreme and can often be found on the streets of Newark meeting and listening to local constituents at 2:00 in the morning. He also is known for his fierce loyalty to people on his team.

In 2009 President Obama offered Booker the chance to head the White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy. Booker declined citing his on-going commitment to Newark, New Jersey. “For a mayor – to manage change, to make an impact. This is an enviable position to be in if that’s your goal and your dream.”

In November 2009 Booker was named one of US News & World Report best American leaders. (6)

Your diagnosis – some questions to consider:

• How does Booker’s leadership style compare to yours? How might he be like you? How are you different?
• Are your convictions as deeply held and as widely communicated as Booker’s. Are there any business beliefs you have that you would go on the equivalent of a hunger strike for?
• What are Booker’s strengths? For example does he provide a compelling vision of the future; does he live his values and beliefs; how do you imagine he handles conflict – how do you?
• Would working for someone like Booker bring out the best in you?
• Can people trust you will do what you say you will do?

Our Diagnosis of Booker’s Leadership Style

Diagnosing Booker’s leadership style using our model of conviction and connection identifies him as an extreme C2 Leader, with exceptionally high conviction and extraordinary connection skills (7). Using our leadership diagnostic he would score very highly on items such as ‘talks about his most important values and beliefs’, ‘demonstrates a sense of power and competence through communication’, ‘articulates a compelling vision of the future’, ‘is able to manage resistance to change’ and ‘people believe working for Booker brings the best out in them’.

Looking at Booker’s style in more detail his leadership behavior can be defined as Manage: Direct-Lead. This approach stresses leadership, energy, power and expertise balanced with collaboration and support. Leaders who are strong in these behaviors communicate the message ‘I am a strong, competent, knowledgeable person on whom you can rely for effective guidance and leadership’. This leader is likely to be very confident (both in his own capability and that of his team); and realize that ‘the team’ approach is one of the most effective ways of getting things done. This leadership style inspires respect, obedience and support from others.

References

(1)    Headden, S. (2006). ‘The Guy in the Thick of it’. US News.com, April.

(2)    Segal, D. (2006). ‘Urban legend’. Washington Post, July 3rd

(3)    Huffington, A. (2002) ‘The Madness of Newark’s King James’, Salon.com, Nov. 4^th.

(4)    Kennedy, R. (2008). ‘Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal’. New York: Pantheon, 240p

(5)    Cave, D (2006). ‘Pledging to Revive Newark, a New Mayor Goes to Work’. New York Times, July.

(6)    Gilgoff, D. (2009). ‘Knee-deep in Newark’s Revival’. US News & World Report, November, p48

(7)    Rowley, A. R. (2007). ‘Leadership Therapy: Inside the Mind of Microsoft’. New York: Palgrave: MacMillan, 243p

How self-aware are you? Self-awareness is a critical component of leadership. It affects the impact you have on others, your ability to read those around you, and whether you see opportunities as a threat or a challenge. 

To help our clients become more self-aware we often ask them to diagnose the leadership style of other famous, or infamous, leaders. The idea being we see things in others before we see them in ourselves and, using another leaders achievements, temperament, background and approach provides a mirror with which to diagnose own style – warts and all.

Try it yourself. Spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with Aung San Suu’s achievements, personality, strengths and vulnerabilities and then use this information to diagnose her leadership style. You will have chance to compare your insights with ours at the end of the ‘analysis’.

If you want to take the exercise a step-further take our leadership diagnostic to compare yourself with some of the best in the business or call or email us for a free consult.

On The Couch

Imagine this. Because of a deeply held belief you have been imprisoned in your own home for 14 of the past 20 years. You can’t see your children or have visitors unless agreed by your jailors.  This has been the experience of Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced Awng San Su Chee), who has been under house arrest in Myanmar (Burma) for over 14-years because of her outspoken beliefs about democracy and freedom. She has won the Nobel Peace prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought. She also won a democratically held election to be Myanmar’s Prime Minister but the results were nullified and the military refused to hand over power. Despite her confinement San Suu remains a symbol of hope and freedom both to her people and others around the world living under similar regimes.

San Suu was born in 1945. Her father a General in the Burmese army, was a respected war hero, her mother was a senior staff nurse, and an active member of a political group known as the Women’s Freedom League (1). Together they worked for a unified Burma including the emancipation of women. In her book about Suu, Bettina Ling concludes that from her father she learned to be deeply devoted to the good of her country even if it meant risking harm or death. From her mother she learned courage and forgiveness. A hallmark of San Suu’s life has been loss, of freedom, of her father who was assassinated when she was 2-years old, of her brother who died in a drowning accident and her husband who died in the US whilst she was under house arrest in Myanmar. Despite these experiences San Suu remains positive, her faith, Buddhism, providing a wellspring of hope against what could have been an inexorable slide into bitterness and misery.

San Suu was educated in Myanmar, before continuing her studies in India and Oxford, England. Her first job was at the United Nations.

Her political career was a baptism of fire. On returning to nurse her ailing mother she found her country in chaos. The military junta had slaughtered over 10,000 demonstrators and San Suu became the face of the democracy movement in her country. Within months she was placed under house arrest for the first time. Her most famous speech is the ‘Freedom of Fear’ speech, which starts, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” (2)

She has been described as a ‘freedom’ fighter’, a charismatic communicator of strong convictions, and a leader who refuses to be intimidated and who has sacrificed her freedom and her family for the good of her country.

Your diagnosis – questions to consider:

• How does Aung San Suu’s leadership style compare to yours? How might she be like you? How are you different?
• San Suu’s beliefs drive her ‘brand’. Are you aware of how your beliefs drive yours? (If not check out this exercise)
• San Suu has very strong, very clear convictions – what are your convictions? How far are you prepared to go to protect them?
• Could you follow a leader like San Suu?

Our Diagnosis of Aung San Suu’s Leadership Style

Diagnosing Aung San Suu’s leadership style using our model of conviction and connection identifies her as an extreme C2 Leader, with exceptionally high conviction and extraordinary connection skills (3). Using our leadership diagnostic she would score very highly on items such as ‘talks about her most important values and beliefs’, ‘demonstrates a sense of power and competence through communication’, ‘is willing to stand up for her ideas even if they are unpopular’, and ‘shows persistence and tenacity in the face of adversity or resistance’.

Looking at San Suu’s style in more detail her leadership behavior can be defined as Guide: Advise – Teach: The behaviors represented by this style stress self-confidence and support. These leaders appear strong, but their power and confidence are used in a more affiliative way - they are more likely to use ‘expert’ or ‘referent’ power than rely on the authority inherent in their role. These people are often popular – they attempt to get along well with, and to provoke respect from others. They have clear boundaries and are unlikely to compromise their beliefs or convictions in the face of conflict or disagreements. These leaders are good coaches and see developing their people as a key part of their role. This leadership style inspires respect, and liking from others.

References

(1)    Ling, B. (1998). ‘Standing up for Democracy’. New York: Feminist press, p 112

(2)    Aung San Suu Kyi (2009). Answers.com

(3)    Rowley, A. R. (2007). ‘Leadership Therapy: Inside the Mind of Microsoft’. New York: Palgrave: MacMillan, 243p

How self-aware are you? Self-awareness is a critical component of leadership. It affects the impact you have on others, your ability to read those around you, and whether you see opportunities as a threat or a challenge. 

To help our clients become more self-aware we often ask them to diagnose the leadership style of other famous, or infamous, leaders. The idea being we see things in others before we see them in ourselves and, using another leaders achievements, temperament, background and approach provides a mirror with which to diagnose own style – warts and all.

Try it yourself. Spend a few minutes familiarizing yourself with Bernbach’s achievements, personality, strengths and vulnerabilities and then use this information to diagnose her leadership style. You will have chance to compare your insights with ours at the end of the ‘analysis’.

If you want to take the exercise a step-further take our leadership diagnostic to compare yourself with some of the best in the business or call or email us for a free consult.

On the Couch

Bill Bernbach was the founder of New York Ad Agency DDB. I’d bet you probably have never heard of Bernbach but I’m sure you will have seen his influence on the advertizing media around you.

Bernbach was born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1911. His parents Jacob and Rebecca Bernbach were immigrants. Bernbach liked to hint that he came from a deprived background, saying that ‘he had no middle name because his parent’s couldn’t afford one’. However, his family was better off than most, his father being described by Bernbach as ‘an austere but elegant designer of women’s clothes’.

Physically Bernbach was unprepossessing but his physical appearance was more than compensated for by a razor sharp mind. He was described as a ‘quick-witted package of ego, determination, confidence and energy’. His friend and colleague Bob Levenson described him as ‘an outsized ego... lodged in an inconvenient body’. An oft-repeated joke about Bernbach has a colleague commenting on the day’s beautiful weather, ‘Thank you’ says Bill.

Bernbach’s first job out of University was in the mailroom of Schenley’s Distillers Company. His aspiration to find a job in advertising was derailed by the impact of the great depression. Not to be deterred Bernbach wrote an impromptu ad for Schenley and delivered it to the firms advertising department. The ad ran, just as Bernbach had written it, but with no credit given to him. But Bernbach was not deterred; in a masterstroke of networking he made the acquaintance of the Company President, Lewis Rosenstiel, over a shared admiration of the Lebanese American poet, artist and writer, Kahil Gibran. Rosensteil, an admirer of rags-to-riches stories, ordered that Bernbach be given a raise and a permanent job in the advertising department.

In 1949, after two years in the army and a job as vice president and creative director with Grey Advertising, Bernbach decided to start his own agency, Doyle Dane Bernbach. On the absence of commas between the names, another departure from the norm at the time, Bernbach was reported to have said, ‘Nothing will ever come between us, not even punctuation’. At the time Benrbachs remarkably quick rise to the top was attributed to ‘his unusual verbal, visual and people skills’ but he was also described as ‘a visionary, with a visionary’s zeal, and a worrier’. This combination of purpose and anxiety was to fuel his own ad agency.

DDB caught the rhythm of the time. In his book ‘Ad Land’ Mark Tungate writes the agency, ‘was more like a hip jazz combo than an advertising agency’ and Bernbach once compared its work to that of jazz great Thelonius Monk, founder of bebop (1). As a leader it is clear Bernbach was not afraid to be visible, tap into the culture of the time and break down barriers. He was also very clear about the type of people he wanted to recruit. He insisted the people hired fulfill two requirements: They had to be talented and they had to be nice. “If you were nice but without talent, we were very sorry but you just wouldn’t do,” he observed. “We had to ‘make it,’ and only great talent would help us do that. If you were a great talent but not a nice person, we had no hesitation in saying ‘no.’ Life is too short to sacrifice so much of it to living with a bastard.” (2). True to his beliefs, and borrowing from his mentor, William Weintraub, DDB was the first to hire ethnic minorities and women into visible and decision-making positions.

As the agency grew, management problems multiplied. Roles and responsibilities were confused; people were hired and provided little in the way of guidance or accountability, there was no succession planning and the agency lacked leadership. It’s a cautionary tale that whilst Bernbach provided vision and energy neither he nor his management team could provide day-to-day direction (3).  This lack of leadership and management decision-making ultimately ‘destroyed’ DDB.  Despite having the opportunity to go public twice Bernbach dithered and in the end DDB was merged with Needham Harper to become the largest advertising firm in the world. The merger of these two firms makes for an interesting read in and of itself. DDB is now part of the Omnicom Group.

Bill Bernbach passed away in 1982, yet the company he co-founded still holds to his beliefs of courtesy, intuition, fierce creativity, and innovation. The current leadership recognizes that they “are a product of his [Bernbach’s] imagination,” and the agency remains true to Bernbach’s belief that to be successful DDB has to be, by instinct and inclination, the enemy of the ordinary.

You can download a selection of Bernbach’s sayings here

Your diagnosis – some questions to consider:

• How does Bernbach’s leadership style compare to yours? How might he be like you? How are you different?
• What are his strengths? For example did he provide a compelling vision of the future and live his values and beliefs.
• Would working for someone like Bernbach bring out the best in you?
• How might you coach Bernbach to maximize his potential?
• Does he have any qualities you’d like to develop?

Our diagnosis of Bernbach’s Leadership Style

Diagnosing Bernbach’s leadership style using our model of conviction and connection identifies him as a C1 Leader, with exceptionally high conviction but less developed connection skills (4). Looking at Bernbach’s style in more detail his leadership behavior can be defined as Confident-Independent. These leaders appear powerful and self-assured. Their behavior communicates the message ‘I am a strong, competent, knowledgeable person on whom you can rely on for effective guidance and leadership’.  An underlying factor is their guidance has a distinctly competitive component. At its extreme there is a high probability this leader will display all the characteristics of the narcissist – self-absorbed, interpersonally exploitative and a belief they are ‘special’ and unique. These leaders can inspire and motivate or, create chaos and hostility. It’s interesting to consider that Bernbach was at his most effective when his agency was in start-up mode. As DDB grew his leadership became less effective.

References

(1)    Tungate, M. (2007). ‘Adland: A Global History of Advertising’. New York: Kogan Page, 278p

(2)    Levenson, B & Bernbach, B. (1987). ‘Bill Bernbach's Book: A History of Advertising That Changed the History of Advertising’. New York: Villard, 220p

(3)    Willens, D. (2009). ‘Nobody's Perfect: Bill Bernbach and the Golden Age of Advertising’. Create Space, 208p

(4)    Rowley, A. R. (2007). ‘Leadership Therapy: Inside the Mind of Microsoft’. New York: Palgrave: MacMillan, 243p