Forty years ago, the business world was relatively stable. Long range planning was the sophisticated management practice of choice.
The company I worked for had them. We weren’t alone. According to management expert Carl Heyel, writing in 1973, by 1970, “80 percent to 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies engaged in some form of long-range planning.”
Most of those plans were five and ten year plans. But some extended out twenty years and more.
Those plans drove the leadership development programs of the time. What we call “High Potentials” today were called “Fast Trackers” back then.Â
Companies rotated Fast Trackers through a set of assignments designed to broaden understanding of the company and the industry. In those days, it seemed easy to identify and develop leaders for a predictable future.
Today, things are different. Eric Schmidt says that: “At Google we have a three year financial plan, but a one year strategic plan.” That reflects a world in which adaptation is rapidly becoming a more important skill than planning.
What kind of leadership talent do you look for in that kind of world? Look for some new things and some old stand-bys. .
Look for the ability to learn quickly and turn that learning into action. Smarts isn’t enough. Just knowing will not do.
Look for the ability to work in teams. I don’t mean only the ability to lead teams. We’re going to need every brain in the game and our leaders will have to be good at helping others contribute.
Look for people who scan outside the enterprise and the industry. They’re the people who will spot the early signals of change. They’re the ones who will generate the breakthrough ideas.
Not everything will be new and different. Look for some of the same things that worked in the last century and the one before that.
Look for people who are willing to decide. Look for people who will be realistic with others about performance and behavior. Look for people who like helping others succeed.
The world of business is picking up speed. That calls for new skills. But the old people skills are still vital.
These are all great guidelines and I want to drill down a bit more on ‘helping others succeed.’ I think the best leaders are those who help people develop their strengths rather than focusing on their weaknesses or forcing them into a standard mold. People are unique and capable of truly great things, if you can tap into what they do best.