Keep it simple. Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart Stores, believes in keeping things simple. “[W]e can describe our complete strategy in 10 words. And that makes it very easy to get everybody energized and aligned.” Castro-Wright keeps things simple for himself by managing his personal to-do list every evening. “My pa doesn’t see them until early in the morning, but that sets the stage for the following day.”
Get out of your office. Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s, hits the road two or three days per week. Much of that road time is spent visiting stores and setting up impromptu meetings with store managers by calling them on their mobile phones when he’s in their store. Lundgren’s style is not to play “ gotcha ya” but to educate himself. “I learn as much by going through a store as anything I do, much more than sitting in my office at my computer or holding a big meeting here, because I’m learning and seeing exactly what our customer is seeing.”
Ask good questions. Daniel Amos, CEO of Aflac, is a relentless questioner. “I think most people will tell you that I tend to be the inquisitor who will ask a million questions.” But such questions are not intended, as Amos explains to cut off debate; they are intended to challenge people to think for themselves. “It’s O.K. for you to tell me that you don’t know the answer and get back to me.” Amos also knows himself. “I can get so preoccupied that I don’t see anybody. I can absolutely walk through a room and never see anybody because my mind is so focused.” At the same time, Amos realizes that “if you don’t have pretty good people skills; you’re not going to be head of a department.”
Charisma is overrated. Wendy Kopp, founder and CEO of Teach for America, believes that charisma is not essential to a leader’s ability to do his job. Her company hires teachers to serve in some of the most disadvantaged communities in America. “Some of the most successful teachers are some of the least charismatic… But they have a gift of figuring out what motivates people.” As every leader knows, translating influence into action through motivation is essential to getting things done right.
Leadership is an act. Clarence Otis, Jr., the CEO of Darden Restaurants with a background in finance and law, leverages his experience on the stage to lead more effectively. “The thing that prepared me most… was theater… [It’s] the starkest lesson in how reliant you are on others, because you are there in front of an audience.” As a senior leaders Otis believes “[Y]ou’ve got to give people the chance to speak,” but understand that everyone does not express themselves in the same ways so it is necessary to give less outspoken, more reflective people “space for them to fill.”
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