Posted by Bob Barker on January 24, 2012 · Leave a Comment
“Symphony…is the ability to put together the pieces. It is the capacity to synthesize rather than to analyze; to see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields; to detect broad patterns rather than to deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair.”
— Dan Pink in A Whole New Mind
Vistage CEO Rafael Pastor spoke this morning at a breakfast organized by TexasCEO magazine. He covered a range of topics near and dear to my heart (e.g., “what makes America great? its restlessness”), then reviewed the results of the most recent Vistage member survey, a reliable leading indicator of GDP and hiring trends (good news: CEO confidence is heading back toward the 2004 level).
Finally, he shared four traits of a good leader that combine to produce character:
- Confidence – uplifting and inspiring all constituencies to higher performance
- Curiosity – looking around and asking questions to learn new ways of thinking
- Courage – having determination to risk and innovate
- Collaboration – creating and learning from external relationships
How does an organization exhibit these traits? Consider TexasCEO as an example:
- Confidence – Driving the creation of the magazine was a desire to distribute information that helps CEOs grow their enterprises. TexasCEO founders were confident they could draw contributing authors from multiple industries to deliver value through lessons that cross domains.
- Curiosity – By continually meeting with CEOs and advisors from multiple industries to understand their expertise, publisher Pat Niekamp and staff provide a continual stream of challenging articles on business development, people matters, marketing, sales, leadership, finance, governance, professional development, and other topics that CEOs must track.
- Courage – Does it take courage in a down economy to start a combined print and online magazine? Of course, but that courage was based on a clear analysis: no statewide business publication existed in a business-friendly state.
- Collaboration – TexasCEO continues to build relationships with groups and individuals that share their passion for helping CEOs achieve their dreams. Like Vistage, they appreciate the power of collaboration to broaden our vision. Rafael Pastor said it best when he quoted Marshall Goldsmith: “What got you here won’t get you there.” Often we can learn what works from our peers.
Joel Trammell recently told me about becoming a CEO. “Many people think that the CEO job is just the next progression after being a senior executive in a business… the CEO job is actually a unique role that doesn’t really have much in common with the other executive roles in a business.” He then related how he quickly learned to reach out to other business leaders when he became a CEO.
Vistage and TexasCEO were founded on the common goal of sharing CEO knowledge and expertise to improve business performance. With that common focus, maybe a new partnership was born this morning.
Filed under CEO, partnerships, strategy, TexasCEO, Vistage · Tagged with 20/20 outlook, 2020outlook, bob barker, CEO, daniel pink, joel trammell, partnerships, pat niekamp, rafael pastor, texasceo, vistage, whole new mind
Posted by Bob Barker on November 7, 2011 · 2 Comments
When I was recently interviewed for a Wall Street Journal article, answering questions about doing business in Texas came remarkably easy. The interview was nominally about Rick Perry, but almost all our time was spent discussing the state’s relatively healthy job scene.
When asked why Texas is special, I told Dan Henninger about a Brooklyn native and friend named John who worked for me in Dallas in the late 80′s. After having lived in half a dozen cities across the country during his career, he deliberately targeted moving to Dallas when he and his wife were ready to start a family. What inspired him was the attitude of businesspeople in Texas when they lived there once before in the early 80′s.
At that time, the energy sector was spiraling downward at a record pace, but he remembered that, instead of bemoaning their situation, the Texans around him were talking about what they were going to do next. In some cases it meant starting over in new areas of the energy sector, while others were planning how to start anew in other markets. No one spent time crying about their dire situation. The optimism he saw in Texas was like nothing he’d seen elsewhere, so he and his wife deliberately returned a few years later.
My friend Ed Trevis (also quoted in the article) provides another perspective from a non-native Texan. As the long-time CEO of a high tech embedded computing business in Silicon Valley, Ed finally became fed up with California’s overbearing tax and regulatory environment, so he surveyed locations in many other states, looking for the best place to relocate. His criteria included a strong, well-educated labor force, less government interference, and an attractive cost of doing business. Texas came out far ahead in his analysis, and the city of Cedar Park outside Austin provided the perfect place to move his business, which has thrived there since the move two-and-a-half years ago.
To be fair, there are great people everywhere, there are thriving businesses in other states, and there are spots that beat out Texas in one way or another. What is unique about Texas, though, is not only its labor force, its supportive governmental policies, and its low cost structure, but the optimism and collaborative attitude so prevalent among its people. As David Booth, who moved Dimensional Fund Advisors’s headquarters to Austin from California, said, “It’s hard to understand if you haven’t lived here.”
Filed under CEO, relocation, strategy, technology, Texas, TexasCEO · Tagged with 20/20 outlook, bob barker, business move, CEO, culture, Dan Henninger, relocation, Rick Perry, strategy, technology, Texas, Wall Street Journal, WSJ
Posted by Bob Barker on October 31, 2011 · 2 Comments
The Elephant in the Room
Ever been in a conference room with multiple people where the dialog circles around without coming to closure? It eventually dawns on you that the one big issue blocking a decision isn’t being discussed. Then you realize why. Now hold that thought.
In Getting Naked, Patrick Lencioni says willing to be vulnerable is a virtue for those of us who advise CEOs and their teams. Calling out the elephant in the room is a prime example. He suggests sharing what your intuition tells you, even at the risk of being blazingly wrong. While you might experience occasional embarrassment, overcoming your fear enables you to provide far higher value over the course of your client engagement.
So, let’s pop back into that meeting where everyone is circling… the reason for lack of progress is obvious – it’s an issue that could humiliate someone or at least cause some discomfort, right? In this case, let’s say it’s a boss with an intimidating presence who has directly or indirectly made clear his or her desired outcome. Everyone else in the group knows the solution is impractical, yet they fear the CEO’s wrath or lowered respect if they point it out.
For a trusted adviser, this is a defining moment. We clearly have a moral obligation to do what’s in the best interest of our client, regardless of personal consequences. While it may be tempting to focus on staying in the CEO’s good graces, being willing and able to directly address the issue openly while maintaining and even growing rapport requires business acumen and emotional intelligence that distinguishes advisers from consultants.
Posted by Bob Barker on May 2, 2011 · 1 Comment
How often do you get to sit in on a conversation with a room full of CEOs? That’s exactly what I did recently when I moderated a CEO Roundtable for TexasCEO and Somerset Consulting Group at the Hotel ZaZa in Dallas (great venue).
We brought together seven executives who run significant businesses in varied industries: communications, commercial construction, manufacturing, chemicals, health and fitness, franchising, and financial services. Each is a recognized leader in their respective industry, and each contributed a unique perspective on the topic of the day: how does company culture affect employee performance?
Everyone naturally agreed that an organization’s culture is a key determinant of its performance. It’s also clear that a CEO’s actions and performance are major factors in creating and preserving that culture. So, what is it that determines who is a CEO?
Having accumulated a number of accomplished CEO friends over the years, I’ve concluded it’s not something that can be taught – CEO’s are a breed unto themselves. You can gain more knowledge by taking B school classes and by reading about others’ experiences in being a CEO (shameless self-promotion), but the basic attributes that drive a classic CEO start showing up early in life:
- the need to succeed in a unique way,
- the willingness to do whatever it takes,
- a desire to have a hand in deciding what’s going on around them,
- and the courage to take responsibility for failure.
The reality of being a CEO is that it requires the level of focus, dedication, and sacrifice that most people aren’t equipped to make. If you disagree, please state your case!
[For more, check out the article about the Dallas CEO Roundtable in the May/June issue of TexasCEO magazine.]
