Expert interview with Larry Hochman
Part 2
Posted on November 15, 2007 - Filed Under Innovative marketing strategies, CSA - Celebrity Speakers, Expert Interviews |
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4. Once a leader, how can you protect yourself from falling into the trap of conceit, and not really being able to see the way anymore, or on the contrary, of becoming so close to the people you lead, and not being able to guide them on the right track?
Having been the Personal Mentor to many Chief Executives and Directors all over the world, I have contemplated for several years the challenge for leaders to not fall into the trap of complacency. In order for anyone to continue to adapt and change, they must be free of three things: denial, nostalgia and arrogance. Leaders must be open enough to allow colleagues to confront them as often as possible, and challenge their behaviour when these traits appear. Surfacing and discussing these issues in an open manner helps you to identify when they exist. You must first acknowledge the existence of denial, nostalgia and arrogance and how they manifest as personal behaviour, in order to move beyond them. Often you need other people to help you do that. And move beyond them you must. Otherwise, ego and vanity will certainly destroy your career and perhaps your company as well. Of course corruption, lies and ethical lapses can even more quickly destroy the career of any leader. We thankfully live in a world of increasing transparency (and instant communication!), which will dictate the swift exit of any leader who fails to meet the highest possible ethical standards.
5. From your personal experience of 10 years at director level in multi-national companies British Airways and Air Miles, what were the most challenging/delicate situations you were faced with and how did you manage to overcome them? Could you give us a couple of concrete examples?
The biggest challenge in any global organisation is how to build a corporate culture with a common purpose. This is even more important today, with staff and customers spread all over the world. To me, the only common purpose that should exist is to put your customers at the heart of everything that is done, said, promised and delivered. This must be the organising principle of any company that wishes to succeed and grow in the years ahead. The single biggest mistake to make in any business, big or small, is to fail to deliver on the promises made to customers. This is the responsibility of every single person in every single company in the world, regardless of where in the organisation they may work. At British Airways, Air Miles and every business I have ever been associated with, building a common purpose around meeting the demands of customers, and helping people understand their individual responsibility in doing so, has always been the biggest challenge.
6. In this competition for talent, what is the near future of HR, in your opinion? What are the most productive and up-to-date recruitment techniques at the moment of speaking?
The biggest challenge for HR departments anywhere in the world is first to make themselves relevant, and second to be certain everything that they do is seen to be linked to the commercial success of the business. Their most important and most relevant focus, by far, is assuring that the company becomes a “magnet for talent”. There is never a shortage of talent, just a shortage of great companies that the best people want to work for. Once they have helped to attract the most talented people possible, they must then manage that pool of talent and reward and retain the right people for the right amount of time. HR must also manage the sharing of intellectual capital in the organisation, a vital process in order to succeed and grow in the kind of world we live in today. Finally, HR must keep the leaders of the company honest in regard to that well used phrase that “people are the most important asset in the business”. This is said by many if not most leaders, but these words are seldom matched by their actions, in particular when the business hits a few bumps. HR must help to make certain that there is always investment being made in the people of the company and their continued growth. If not HR, then who will do this??
end of the interview with Larry Hochman
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