Month: February 2020

Must You Map Every Step of Your Career Path? Not Really

Posted on by Hellen Githaiga

As a longtime business executive, Ron Williams is often asked for advice on management issues. He likes to keep his answers clear and simple. One of his favorite mantras is, “Don’t get stuck in paralysis by analysis.” He also tells young people not to map every step of their careers because, like him, they never know where they may end up. Williams grew up in Chicago’s South Side, where he used to wash cars, and became one of the few African-Americans to lead a Fortune 500 company, serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Aetna. He’s on the board at American Express, Boeing and Johnson & Johnson, and also runs his consultancy, RW2 Enterprises. Williams spoke to Knowledge@ Wharton:

I read that part of the reason why you wrote this book was because you have often been asked to talk about your upbringing and career, going from Chicago to CEO.

Ron Williams: That’s correct. I get quite a few phone calls from CEOs who are going through transformational change or confronting particular problems. And I’ve gotten a lot of phone calls from people who were completing their MBA programs, who were mid-career, who were aspiring leaders, trying to figure out how do they develop, what do they need to do in order to get to the C-suite? Based on that, I determined that it would be helpful to have a practitioner’s point of view. The book’s about my experience, but it’s also about a collection of other CEOs, including women CEOs,  ho have risen to the top from fairly modest backgrounds.

How did you develop your leadership skills and style over the years?

Williams: There are several things that I always recommend. One is that you have to adopt a particular leadership style and approach. The approach I describe is values-based high performance. You treat people with respect and learn how you can make certain that people are achieving the right goals, doing it the right way, getting the counseling assistance that they need. Thinking consciously about your performance approach is really important.

Can you talk about mentorship and feedback, which are two topics in the book?

Williams: Mentorship is extremely important. People often think is that there’s only one way to have a mentor. In a lot of ways, you have official mentors and you have unofficial mentors. You can learn as much about what not to do as you can about what to do. When you have an interest in a professional who has done well, who is exhibiting the kind of leadership attributes that you think could be helpful, working to establish that relationship is extremely important. But you can learn from everyone that you come into contact with, if you have an open mind.

When do you think the idea of being a leader starts to formulate in a person’s mind?

Williams: It’s a journey, it’s not an event. It’s not a process. Many believe that leaders are born with some innate charisma, and certainly there are leaders who do have that capability. But the vast majority of leadership is learned. It’s individuals who have a high tolerance of failure, who have an ability to get up and to try to demonstrate leadership and participate in activities where they learn the lessons of leadership from others.

You say that values are an important component to leadership, so does the size of the company matter? If you’re following what you believe to be good values and core competencies, can you have the same success as a leader in a small business as you can in a Fortune 500 firm?

Williams: That’s true. One thing I learned along the way is that, as a CEO or the CFO, you are very excited about the financial results of the business. But most people who work in a business want to be part of a clear and elevating goal. They want to make the world a better place. One of the obligations of a leader is to connect the business activity to things that make the world a much better place.

What are the unique sets of challenges to managing a startup or smaller business? 

Williams: One is the rate at which people are hired. You end up with the person you hired six months ago training the person you hired three months ago, who’s training the person you hired a month ago, who’s training the person you hired yesterday. It can lead to a dilution of both the company culture and lack of clarity around the strategy and what the founders really want to accomplish. Maintaining that over the rapid pace of change and staying connected to the customer base in that period does require somewhat different leadership skills, because it’s much more about finding your place in the market than an organization that is very large, which has a different set of challenges. When you’re building it out and rapidly hiring, it’s extremely important that those new employees really understand the strategy, the values and the culture of the company to avoid significant problems. One of the things that companies often don’t fully appreciate is that the culture and values are the curbs on the side of the road that keep the company out of trouble. The more you emphasize those, the taller those curbs get on the roadway. And they provide a lot of insulation against challenges and troubles.

This is What Success Looks to Us Women

Posted on by Hellen Githaiga

By Melissa Wakhu

The way we women perceive success in men cannot just be described in one word; it would be more befitting to describe it in layers.

The first layer is the icing on the cake; it is the first impression, the top layer, what the eye sees and the five senses experience. For this layer, the successful man is one who is as intriguing as he is attractive; a man with a confident gait, every stride communicates that he is sure of his destination and certain that he will get there no matter what.

When he speaks, he is an articulate communicator and witty in the way he expresses himself. His physical appearance is defined by a clean look, fresh fragrance and a sense of fashion, with a taste that suites and compliments his physique.

Peeling off this top layer should reveal his character. A man who is a visionary leader, who tenaciously works hard to attain his goals and is passionate as he applies himself. He is not afraid to take risks and toils with full focus and acceleration yet he also knows the right time to pull back, slow down and pace himself.

When he takes stock, he honestly analyses his weaknesses, acknowledging them and growing from life’s experiences. His physical strength and masculine presence offer comfort, security and defense, warding off any threats.

It should reveal an astute man of his word, who is dependable and you can fully count on him to fulfill his obligations and deliver on his promises. A successful man is one who is principled and his values guide his actions and choices. He is not afraid to say no and weighs his words carefully because he means every single one of them.

He is committed to stay the course and doesn’t cower at the sight of obstacles but braces himself for the challenges that life throws at him. He is a man who takes a stand and speaks out when his voice is needed.

He has lasting results built on integrity, innovation and investment in stable, sustainable and significant assets. Although he is focused and serious, he knows how to play hard, laugh deeply and take adventures that reveal the little boy in him.

Beneath this layer of character is the rock that cannot be dislodged, the tender heart of this warrior, the spirit that nurtures and feeds his character. His heart is evidenced by his love, which is exemplified in his words and backed by his actions.

He is emotionally aware yet not soft, his kindness is masculine and strong and he allows himself to be vulnerable when he needs to be but fights to get back up from it to face another day. His kindness towards others is informed by his empathy as he is aware of the needs around him and he expresses this generosity with words as well as in kind.

The heart of a successful man is relational and he is not intimidated by the intensity of love and the brokenness that it demands of him. He prioritises his family above all else. He invests in meaningful relationships, his friendships edify and offer accountability in the midst of the fun. He lifts up those around him by finding avenues to give back, mentor and pour out the wealth that is within him.

The identity and security of the successful man is not in the opulence of material things like wealth, titles and career, as these are temporary. His ego is defined by Him who created him and fulfilling his God-given purpose.
As women, we are patient enough to peel the layers slowly in the journey towards finding and growing with a successful man.

Melissa is an entrepreneur with a cosmetic line, Kono, and author of a children’s book, “The Wonderful Hibiscoak Tree”

If You’re to Succeed at 40…

Posted on by Hellen Githaiga

Having recently, myself, reached the great age of 40 I can relate to the broader concept under discussion here. Namely, trying to make a success of things by the time you are 40.

I started my own business when I was 31 and looking back, it is amazing how relatively little you know at 30 and before. It is extraordinary that people this age can keep a business, family and other things together as often there are also the pressures, both financial and time, that come with having a young family.

Achieving significant things when you are running your own business, or in management in someone else’s, before you are 40 is challenging because it is a competition, usually with people significantly older. The older one becomes, the easier it gets to a certain extent because one gains maturity and experience. These things are key to a balanced life and to a good leader.

By definition, you cannot have a high level of experience and maturity when you are young, and that is why what these young people have done is so remarkable. I don’t believe that it is entirely about brainpower, although that helps, but it is also about determination and focus.

Also, somewhat unfortunately, sacrifice. It is almost impossible not to have to sacrifice some of the time you spend with your children, family and your friends in order to achieve business success when you are young. In some cases it may mean that the chance to get started on a family is postponed. Not many people will appreciate the necessity of this level of commitment and, maybe hardest of all, your friends and also your family might at times resent it, despite the fact that often the sacrifices are being made in their interest.

The good news is they will all forgive you! And come and celebrate with you when the successes are achieved, which they always are as a result of hard work and focus. The men being celebrated here are the people who you will want to work for, or with, in future for they will have worked out what it takes to lead; make an organisation or team successful; and stay calm under pressure.

I suggest that we all keep an eye on them as a lot of them will also be some of the industry and country leaders of the future. Let us hope some of them choose a life of public service as we will surely want them to oversee our economy and government in years to come. Let us hope they also have a philanthropic and social developmental instinct, for they will certainly generate high incomes and capital that can be put to good use in this area.

Finally let us hope they manage to find some kind of work-life balance. A lot is spoken about regarding mental health internationally these days. It is almost impossible for these kind of achievers to have much balance I fear! But let us hope they at least manage to exercise a little, eat well, spend a little time with their children each day and perhaps take a Sunday off work once in a while!

– Edward Burbidge is CEO of I&M Burbidge Capital Ltd. [email protected]

What I’ve Learnt About Success

Posted on by Hellen Githaiga

By Jackson Biko

There is a little section in this Friday paper where I meet with CEOs, thought leaders and entrepreneurs in quiet unobtrusive spaces and chat. Mostly it’s early morning, over tea, before
the day gets its elbow dirty. I’ve done it weekly for the past 10 or so years now.

They started off as interviews, now they are conversations and those conversations are never about what these people do but rather who they are. The far-reaching agenda is that by them opening themselves up to close scrutiny we — the readers — hope to tap into what informs their success.

I remember my first few interviews soiled with awe and admiration for these subjects and great superfluousness (on my part). These were successful men and women I only saw on TV; now they were seated before me, legs folded looking like humans who brushed their teeth and engaged in other mundane activities just like the rest of us.

What surprised me was how they all looked different in the flesh. I wanted to touch their hair to confirm that indeed they were real. Initially, I thought I was taken by their presence but then I realised it’s their office/titles that enthralled me. I was young (31 or 32 years), wet behind the ears and impressionable. Of course, I didn’t know better. How could I? I asked pointless and
embarrassing questions like what’s your favourite car? What inspires you?

But then I grew up, as a man, yes but as a professional as well and soon I quickly realised what I had before me. This weekly task had essentially given me access to these successful people. Not only could I learn from them but also recalibrate and test my own idea of success.

So I started asking questions for myself, not for you, dear readers. Because I wanted to know and learn. I wanted to learn about money and marriage, success and failure, loss and hubris, fear and fatalism. If you have been reading that column you will notice that I almost always ask about success and about money. Because most of us were socialised to believe that success means things; a big German car that smells of almonds, a big house on a hill, children in decent schools, money in the bank, affluence.

And so over this decade I have written that column my idea of success has been moulded in more ways than one by most of these extremely brilliant women and men. I have learnt that success is so amorphous. It’s like an amoeba. Have you seen an amoeba under a microscope? You look at it and it looks like the shape of Australia. You step away, take a leak and come back and it looks
like a bottle opener. Success, like an amoeba, is an ugly word. It feels like a finality. The final whistle. A corridor that opens into a wall.

After a while, in the wake of these enlightening conversations, I threw out my own definition of success. This is because I realised that success is like a red coat. I’m never going to wear a red coat, no matter how much I’ve drunk. Well, unless I get a job in a casino and in these dicey economic times, who knows?

Am I successful as a 42-year-old writer? It’s easy to confuse comfort with success. However, I’ve been blessed abundantly for doing something I’m very passionate about, but I also realise that I’m still in the trenches. Which I happen to love. Writing — unlike other forms of quantifiable professions — isn’t a destination, a point of arrival. It’s an unending journey devoid of any romance and long  gratifications. I will write something that I love now, but by tomorrow it won’t matter because nobody cares about what you wrote yesterday. What have you written today?

It’s a ruthless pursuit, this profession which makes the idea of success a moving target. Novels lie about writers who write shirtless under a whirring fan, a glass of scotch by their elbow, seated at a table before a big yawning louvered window that overlooks the rumbling rooftops where birds perch to offer the soundtrack of their prose. Writing is akin to pursuing a love interest that blows hot and cold. It’s like filling a cracked pot. Like trying to light a wet cigarette. It’s pure masochism.

However, there is a deep inexplicable love that writing evokes in one. This unending seduction of words. You know you will never love another and you are aware that the love outweighs every wart that writing comes with. And because of this, success is shifty, like trying to step on your shadow.

I once interviewed a gentleman — I can’t remember who that was, it was five years ago— who I asked what success meant for him and he quoted something I found very interesting. He said that success for him was about hanging on after all others have let go.

I intend to hang on as long as it takes.

Outlier men whose secret of success is not so much hidden

Posted on by Hellen Githaiga

Once, when I was on the verge of 35, I went to see my boss to ask for a promotion. I had just read a book which suggested that if one has not made it in their chosen profession by the age of 35, then 35 was an ideal point to consider trying an entirely new one. I duly quoted this book and my boss at the time asked me: “When are you turning 35?”

“In a month’s time,” I said, my voice shaking, my palms balmy with anxiety. “And what would you like to do in a new role?” he asked, and I duly answered to the best of my knowledge and self-assessment.

“But why do you want a retirement level job? Why not something more exciting?” he asked.

I considered the job I wanted left brain. What he was offering was right brain and I told him as much.

To cut a long story short, two weeks to my birthday, I received a letter informing me that I had been promoted — to the right brain job.

Over the course of my life, I have wanted to be many things. As a boy, when I read about Ronald Reagan, my ambition was to be president of the United States. Reagan, in my view, lived a
charmed life as president and an actor in movies. In those days, the best actors rode on large brown horses, smoked Marlboro, had a damsel to die for, a gun that never missed its target and a bad
guy running from them in the rugged terrains of America’s wild west. That was the job of the future for us.

Later, when I learnt about Javier Perez de Cuellar, I thought that being US president was nothing and becoming UN Secretary-General was more powerful because you practically had a say about
any country on earth. I thought that these were jobs that boys moved into when they turned 40. Nine years ago, I was reminded of these childhood fantasies when David Cameron became UK Prime Minister at the age of 44 and I remembered the joke about the man who told his underperforming son: “When I was your age, I was the best in my class.” And the boy said to him in all earnestness, “When Bill Clinton was your age, he was president of the United States”.

Why am I telling all these stories? For two reasons. One: The jobs of the future have already started taking shape today. For years, trading in derivatives was the preserve of a few. Today, that market is slowly democratising. When we’re struggling with MS-Dos in campus in the mid-90s, we had no idea what range of jobs we could do with computers. Today, we are talking about Artificial Intelligence, cashless payments, Internet of Things; innovations that not even Jules Vernes could contemplate. Yet, some of today’s Top40 Under40 winners are doing these very things.

Second; When we talked to many of the winners, they said they followed their hearts, made commitment their second name and invested time and effort to get to where they are, becoming
outliers in their chosen fields, from hockey to inventing computer games and e-commerce businesses. And many of them had an older man prompting them, nudging them on which direction
to take and what choices to make. This basically means that their secret of success is actually not so much of a secret anymore. We have unpacked the ingredients in the hope that for every
winner, we can encourage ten more.

It is not every day that you find, say, a neurosurgeon or kidney expert who is under 40 and who has chosen to work in a backwater hospital on the slopes of Mt Kenya or the floor of the Rift Valley,
reaching out to desperate patients in remote villages and giving them back the gift of life. Your standard medical expert will be in a big hospital in Nairobi, charging an arm and a leg just for consultation.

That is why all these 40 guys are outliers. Their life stories challenge the myth that you have to be in politics to make a difference; or the only way to flood your bank account is through overquoted
tenders to a government agency.

See for yourself what these young men have done, then go ye and do likewise.

– Ng’ang’a Mbugua