Leading business leaders of global entrepreneurship. Different leadership styles and their implementation in business. Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms

For many years, researchers with enviable persistence have been looking for answers to questions that until recently seemed insoluble. Why do some people achieve great success in business while others are doomed to failure? What personality traits must an individual possess to become a great business leader? Is entrepreneurial or managerial talent an innate gift, or is it a set of skills that anyone can develop?

It looks like Harvard Business School professors Anthony Mayo and Nitin Nohria have solved the mystery of the greatest business geniuses. And their discovery provides new guidance both for companies seeking to win the war for talent and for those striving for great achievements in business. Moreover, it can radically change approaches to personnel assessment and selection.

This story began when Harvard Business School professors initiated the Leadership Initiative, which was intended to help the school answer questions about the nature of leadership, the evolution of business, and the individuals changing the business landscape. The study also had another, more prosaic goal. The fact is that the school hoped to improve its educational programs and bridge the gap between the theory and actual practice of business leadership.

Be that as it may, the main purpose of the study was to rank the 100 greatest American business leaders of the 20th century and create a “canon” of a true business leader. On initial stage For detailed study 860 American business leaders who achieved significant accomplishments between 1900 and 2000 were selected and entered into the Great American Business Leaders database.

The professors assessed each business leader based on several clear criteria. To be included in the ranking, he had to either be the creator of a business or occupy the position of CEO. Each must have spent at least five years as head of a company that has demonstrated outstanding financial performance for at least four consecutive years. Thus, the list was reduced to 260 people.

Next, the list was passed through another, most important “filter”. The companies led by these people were expected to change people's lives or influence the evolution of business. This could be the opening of new markets, the creation of new industries and new technologies, including management ones.

In the final phase of the study, the professors placed the success stories of business leaders in historical context. That is, they tried to establish the relationship between the events that took place at that time and the activities of each of them. This is where one of the most interesting discoveries in the history of leadership research was made. Namely, the role of “contextual” intelligence as a key factor on the path to great achievements has been identified.

Human intelligence consists of three groups of skills: analytical, creative and contextual intelligence. If with analytical intelligence everything is more or less clear, the ability for logical thinking and analysis can be measured using IQ tests, then with creative and contextual intelligence everything is not so obvious. Creative intelligence determines a person’s ability to create new things and generate ideas, and contextual intelligence determines the ability to effectively interact with reality; it is closest in meaning to what we usually call wisdom.

Business leaders live and operate in real life, against the backdrop of changes in politics and economics, and not in some kind of vacuum. And the main quality that determines the success or failure of each of the great business geniuses is not charisma or the ability to take risks, as some researchers have assumed. This key quality is the possession of “contextual” intelligence, that is, the ability to sense the spirit of the times, capture emerging trends using a kind of “radar,” anticipate future events and use the power of future changes.

This is how Anthony Mayo himself defines contextual intelligence: “Contextual intelligence is the ability to understand macro-level factors that operate over a given period of time. For our study, we selected six contextual factors that shaped the business environment over the past century and continue to influence it in the current century: government regulation, labor market, globalization, technology, demography and social aspects. During each decade of the twentieth century, these six factors waxed and waned in unique combinations. A business leader’s ability to see the meaning of the contextual structure of his time and harness its potential determines his success or failure.”

The results of Mayoi Nohria's research were presented in the book In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the 20th Century (Harvard Business School Press, 2005). Each chapter of the book focuses on a specific decade and the events that occurred within that time period, as well as how these events were used by great business leaders. From a historical point of view, you are unlikely to find anything new there, but the book is valuable because it clearly demonstrates the relationship between context and its competent interpretation, which leads to business success.

For example, Madam C.J. Walker (née Sarah Breedlove) created own business selling cosmetic products and became the country's first self-made female millionaire. The personal selling method she used was pioneered by Avon, but she was the first to use it to market products to an audience of African-American women.

Clarence Sandres was the first to notice that consumers, with the rise of advertising, preferred branded products at affordable prices, and in 1915 he created a new store format, which he called Piggly Wiggly. The innovation was that trading floor There were no sellers; buyers themselves chose goods on the shelves and paid for them at the checkout. In fact, it was the first supermarket. Sanders not only significantly cut staffing costs, but also changed the face of retail. Piggly Wiggly was incredibly successful, and by 1922 the chain had 1,200 stores, and today the supermarket is a recognized industry standard.

Business geniuses are able to find positive sides even in sad events. During the war, R. J. Reynolds viewed the donation of Camel cigarettes as new opportunity to promote the brand. Robert Woodruff publicly vowed that any American soldier anywhere in the world could remember home by buying a five-cent bottle of Coca-Cola. The company, in its desire to maintain the morale of soldiers, not only avoided problems with sugar, while other manufacturers were starving, but also had the opportunity to build an extensive network of factories. When the war was over, the weak company, purchased by Woodruff's father in 1919, was ready to conquer the world market.

William Fairbairn revived the dying match industry when he took over the Diamond Match Company in 1914. The technology for producing phosphorus matches was by that time discredited, since phosphorus was poisonous, and cases of spontaneous combustion were common. Fairbairn changed the production process by replacing phosphorus. Instead of becoming a monopolist, he provided free access to the patented technology to all market participants. His noble gesture revived the industry and ensured its growth.

The researchers found that in addition to possessing one common quality—“contextual” intelligence—great business leaders took three different paths to success. Thus, they developed their own typology:

Entrepreneurial leaders are creative, willing to take risks, and have succeeded by creating new business. They are often ahead of their time and often overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles;

Leaders-managers multiply the success of existing companies by introducing discipline, structure, and organization. They achieve success through a deep understanding of the current situation;

Charismatic leaders are able to inspire people and save businesses that no one believes in the possibility of revival. They are agents of change and identify the hidden potential of companies that others consider stagnant or dying.

Charles William Post falls into the category of entrepreneurial leaders. He was an ordinary traveling salesman traveling through Michigan, the Silicon Valley of his time. It was in this region that more than three hundred automobile companies were located, which spawned new businesses, and even the air there seemed to be saturated with the spirit of entrepreneurship. Post also sensed new possibilities and created the caffeine-free drink Postum. Since Post was a traveling salesman, he took advantage of his experience and began inviting customers throughout the Midwest to try free samples his product. That is, unlike competitors, I communicated with them directly, without intermediaries. He not only achieved success, but also discovered new technology, which has become part of retail trade practice.

Post founded a breakfast cereal company almost simultaneously with the Kellogg brothers. He was one of the first to recognize changes in American consumer behavior. During the industrial era, the number of women spending most of their time at work increased. Time became a more valuable resource, and consumers were willing to pay for convenience. In addition, Post launched an advertising campaign in such mass publications like Ladies' Home Journal, which were perceived by people as trustworthy sources of information, and gained the recognition of the national consumer. He sensed changing demographics and social situations and was one of the first to recognize the power of a nation brand.

The genius of an entrepreneurial leader is to bring together the mundane and thereby create something new, never seen before. Post was one of the greatest visionaries in the business world, but failed as a manager. He failed to build organizational system without killing the entrepreneurial spirit. Ultimately, he left the business and took his own life. But his company Post Cereals continues to operate successfully to this day.

Louis Neumiller belongs to the category of leader-managers. While entrepreneurs build companies and charismatic leaders create radical change, managerial leaders add value to existing existing businesses. Louis Neumiller took over Caterpillar in 1941, two months before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. If Post used changes in the socio-demographic situation, Neumiller was able to use events of a geopolitical nature - the Second world war– to transform Caterpillar into a global organization.

Shortly after America entered the war, the country's armed forces called on Caterpillar to repurpose production to meet the needs of artillery troops. However, Neumiller feared that after the end of the war the company would face problems transitioning to peaceful life. Therefore, he convinced the military that the company should continue producing traditional “peaceful” equipment - bulldozers and tractors. His strategy turned out to be correct - the equipment was in demand for clearing roads and in construction. Within four next years Caterpillar's workforce doubled and sales increased fivefold.

In addition, Neumiller initiated free deliveries of Caterpillar equipment to all countries where hostilities were taking place, as a result of which some company employees were ready to declare him crazy. But his instinct was that the war would end sooner or later, and the countries involved in the war would begin to rebuild what had been destroyed, and then Asia and Europe would become major markets for Caterpillar. And Neumiller was right. The company opened representative offices and service centers, who supported the old equipment and, most importantly, sold the new one. Neumiller leveraged this infrastructure, thereby establishing Caterpillar's presence in virtually every corner of the world.

Neumiller didn't build anything, Caterpillar's product line didn't undergo radical changes, but the scale and capabilities of the corporation did. Being a great manager, he managed to turn both the war and post-war reconstruction to the benefit of the company, which made it possible to turn it into a market giant.

Lee Iacocca belongs to the category of charismatic leaders. He, like other business geniuses, managed to grasp invisible changes and use them to achieve success. In the early 70s, the American automobile giants seemed invincible. But OPEC imposed an oil embargo, and an energy crisis erupted. Many thought that this was just a temporary phenomenon, but it helped the Japanese automakers significantly weaken the power of Detroit. By 1980, Japan had become the world's largest automobile manufacturer, while all American automobile companies were losing money. Chrysler suffered the most, whose losses amounted to $1.7 billion. And at that moment Lee Iacocca appeared.

Iacocca promised that he would receive a symbolic $1 a year until he made Chrysler again profitable company. He managed to get a government loan of $1.5 billion, and there was nowhere to retreat. And then Iacocca was able to discern three important phenomena changing the American business landscape, and turned them to his advantage.

First, Iacocca realized that the main advantage of the Japanese was that they had more effective technology production management. Secondly, he realized that closer contact between management and workers was needed. Therefore, Chrysler became the first American corporation to include union representatives on its board of directors. Third, Iacocca took advantage of changes in demographics. He saw that baby boomers were starting families, and bet on a family car - a minivan. Iacocca was able to save Chrysler because he acted on all three fronts simultaneously. At that time, no one believed in the revival of Chrysler, but everyone believed in the strength of the charismatic leader Lee Iacocca.

What consequences could Anthony Mayo and Nitin Nohria's discovery have? Perhaps revealing the secret of business genius will become the starting point for the emergence of a new wave of great business leaders - entrepreneurs, managers, charismatics. After all, knowledge is a resource that is available to everyone, and everyone can now purposefully develop their own “contextual” intelligence.

Companies are essentially getting new technology for finding talent internally. This may lead to the emergence of a fundamentally new approach in the field of employee assessment, the basis of which will be the search for owners of “contextual” intelligence who are capable of bringing the company to a high quality level. new level.

The opening of Harvard Business School professors could radically change the approach to selecting candidates for leadership positions. After all, what will now be of fundamental importance is not just a “track record”, but the ability to capture emerging trends, interpret them correctly and skillfully use them. “There is a strong tendency to look for a candidate who has a proven track record, but board members need to understand the context in which certain CEO candidates will be successful,” says Anthony Maio. - It is too easy to miss both the past contextual structure of success and the future. Can a person who is successful in one context be equally successful in a new context? Would Sam Walton be successful today? Will Michael Eisner be able to achieve new successes in a changing contextual structure? Boards tend to neglect critically important counter-evidence and favor “proven” talent, often forgetting to ask “proven in what context?”

For each of those who strive for success, the development of “contextual” intelligence becomes a necessary condition. Neither charisma, nor education, nor hard work, nor perseverance, nor courage without the ability to sense one’s time will lead to real great achievements. So develop your “contextual” intelligence by following the example of the best teachers - the greatest business geniuses.

In conclusion, here is a list of the 50 greatest business leaders according to Harvard Business School.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the following must be said. The modern economy, driven by knowledge, chaotic and rapidly increasing in complexity, creates excellent opportunities for exit Russian entrepreneurs to the forefront of domestic and global business.

The fundamental goals of Russia's economic policy are: achieving economic growth and full employment; improving living standards of the general population; price level stability, currency stability and foreign economic balance. Achieving these goals is largely related to the state of affairs and prospects for the development of competitive small businesses.

Formation competitive environment determined by many factors operating at the micro and macro levels. The current macroeconomic situation in Russia is very contradictory. It is focused primarily on suppressing inflation and finding funds for the deficit budget and is far from really stimulating long-term investments in the development of production, which naturally hinders the real effective use of antimonopoly measures, diversification of production, innovation and venture entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, the latter is the breeding ground for the development of small businesses. One should add to the negative phenomena that the country's enterprises inherited from the administrative-command system a tradition of specific conditions for the non-market behavior of enterprises.

The difficult situation of enterprises in modern conditions is aggravated by the peculiarities of market formation, which is characterized, firstly, by a high degree of specialization for many advanced technological industries, secondly, the assignment of individual manufacturers to certain regions, and thirdly, the localization of economic relations due to a sharp increase in transport tariffs.

All of the above means one thing - achieving success in entrepreneurship in the economic and political conditions of Russia is a very difficult task. Apparently, it would be wrong to agree with the widespread thesis that the future of Russia lies in entrepreneurship. The future of Russia belongs to all of us, and in many ways it will be determined by our ability to develop an effective concept of living standards. But the future of Russia also lies with entrepreneurs. Therefore it is required professional approach everyone who decided to take up this form economic activity, to perform entrepreneurial functions, and this can only be achieved through training, that is, through the effective development of everything that has already been accumulated by previous practice.

Since entrepreneurship is the art of mental activity and subsequent practical actions, the improvement of its mastery is limitless. An entrepreneur, however, risks not only his property, but also his reputation and even his life, as Russian entrepreneurial practice shows in its wildest form.

At the same time, along with the risk, the entrepreneur takes on a difficult burden of responsibility, first of all for himself. Once you have decided to become an entrepreneur, then from now on the amount of your income, the lack of personal time (and an entrepreneur, as practice shows, works 12-16 hours a day and on weekends), and the ignoring of many life values ​​(family, theater, books, etc.) .d.) - all this is now your personal concern.

An entrepreneur takes responsibility not only for himself, but also for those whom he involves in the productive process he is creating, i.e. employees. From now on, he must think and take care of them - about paying them wages on time, providing them with work, providing them with everything that the work process requires.

Bibliography

Eberhard von Lehneisen The article was written specifically for McKinsey Bulletin
Published with the consent of the editors of McKinsey Bulletin.
The article was published in the sixth issue of the magazine.
The full issue can be read on the website www.vestnikmckinsey.ru

In the most successful companies leadership development means systematic activity, to which the company's top officials devote a lot of time. This is still new for Russian business, although for the most part Russian companies have reached the stage of development at which weak leadership potential becomes a serious obstacle to further growth and increased efficiency. Russian businessmen will have to realize the importance of broad leadership development in modern interpretation this concept, analyze the state of affairs in their organizations from the point of view of conditions for growing talented and proactive employees and, it is possible, carry out very significant, one might say, “ideological” reforms.

The topic of leadership is becoming increasingly popular around the world. And this is understandable: more and more companies are realizing that the effectiveness and success of their activities depends on how strong their leadership potential is. The “classical” functional approach, which considers strategy, organization, and operational activities as self-sustaining functions, is adjusted to take into account the importance of leadership as a key factor in their successful implementation.

For Russian companies, the topic of leadership is of particular importance. From experience working with our Russian clients, we know that the essence of functional changes, such as adjustments to strategy or organizational structure, is often quite obvious or easily identifiable: structural competitive advantages, as well as the weaknesses of Russian companies are well known.

Large Russian companies still rarely set themselves tasks that are unique in content, such as a fundamental change in strategy or the development of new products; The most popular changes in Russian business include improving operational activities and building new businesses - and here you can rely on the rich experience of many companies and countries, developed and developing. At the same time, Russian companies have the same problems: how to achieve their goals, where to look for people who, thanks to their knowledge and leadership qualities, will be able to determine the direction of change and achieve the implementation of their goals.

The problem of leadership is becoming especially important also because Russian companies increasingly have to face foreign competitors in both Russian and foreign markets. At the same time, international companies not only have an advantage in the field of functional management - they also have many years of experience in understanding and developing leadership potential. The moment has come when Russian enterprises wishing to maintain and strengthen their competitiveness need to begin systematically working on leadership development.

But what is “leadership”? And how to develop it? Now there is no shortage of literature on this issue, as well as specialists on leadership, but in our article we would like to briefly consider the very concept of “leadership” and concentrate on practical issues of leadership development in Russian companies, taking into account the inherent Russian society features. In the article, we tried to use international experience in leadership development, as well as the knowledge and impressions McKinsey gained while working with Russian clients over the past 10 years.

LEADERSHIP PARADIGM

“Leadership is the art of getting others to do what you want so that they think they want to do it themselves,” said Dwight Eisenhower, the famous military leader and US President, referring to the ability of a leader to influence his followers. “Management is the art of getting what is needed, and leadership is the art of determining what needs to be achieved,” said Peter Drucker, a management classic, implying the difference between managing within a given system and the ability to change the system itself. The same idea was emphasized by entrepreneur Ross Perot. He believed that “people cannot be controlled. Inventories can be managed, but people must be led.”

Our experience of working with leaders of the most successful corporations allows us to talk about several qualities and characteristics as key to understanding leadership.

It is important to understand the difference between leadership and management, administration. In general, management is leadership within a given area of ​​responsibility and within established procedures, rather than creating something new. Leaders, on the contrary, create the context and tasks themselves, and create something new. The founders and CEOs of many successful, high-growth companies have had a vision that has helped them successfully bring new products and services to market (as in the case of Microsoft, Apple, Compaq and Dell), transform industries through innovation or radical change (as in the case of Home Depot, Aldi or Outback Steak House). People who simply manage and implement plans designed by others could not create such innovative products and services. But don’t think that leaders can only realize their potential in new industries. And in traditional industries, the most successful business leaders who define new goals and create new products and services have a messianic vision. This was especially clearly demonstrated by the ex-CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, who became famous not only for the amazing financial results that the company achieved under his leadership, but also for the fact that he turned it into an internationally recognized forge of leaders.

Some experts note that the main requirements for a manager and a leader are partly contradictory to each other. In his classic article “Managers and Leaders: How Are They Different?,” published in the Harvard Business Review in 1977, Harvard University professor Abraham Zaleznik pointed out that business leaders have more in common with artists, scientists, and other creative professionals than with managers. The differences between managers and leaders, he wrote, lie in their subconscious conceptualizations of chaos and order. Managers prefer order, strive for stability and control, and prefer to solve a problem quickly - often without fully learning the lesson it presents. Leaders, on the other hand, are willing to tolerate chaos and lack of order and may put off resolving a particular issue until they have thoroughly understood it. Managers' goals are driven by necessity rather than by desire; they are excellent at smoothing out conflicts between employees and even entire departments - it is important for them that both parties are satisfied and the organization continues to successfully perform its daily functions. Leaders have an active, very personal attitude to goals. They work for the long term, inspiring their subordinates with their personal energy and stimulating creativity in their work. Their relationships with subordinates and colleagues are often highly emotional, and their work environment is chaotic.

Zaleznik believes that companies need both managers and leaders to survive, and even more so to succeed. However, large American corporations in the 1970s had an atmosphere that created people who relied on and supported formal procedures. The “order of managers” ethic encourages collective responsibility and risk avoidance—and it also often hinders the development of leaders. How can the entrepreneurial spirit develop in a highly formalized environment and in the absence of a personal touch? In large bureaucratic organizations, mentoring is not encouraged, but it is also very important for the development of leadership qualities.

Time has shown how right Zaleznik was. Modern companies More and more flexibility and the ability to innovate are required, so they must encourage and develop leaders. Only companies that simultaneously develop both leadership and management skills easily adapt to a changing environment. This in turn requires a new, less formal and hierarchical approach to organizational structure.

LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION

The problem of developing leadership in a corporation - or rather, in any organization - is not limited to the development of selected individuals. Outstanding leaders who can lead an entire organization are rare, and the experience of many companies shows that ultimately success is determined by the breadth and depth of leadership in the organization and its leadership potential as a whole.

As noted in the article “Not Just at the Top,” written for McKinsey by experts at the Wharton Business School, leadership skills can occur at any level of the organization. Although much of the literature has focused on the mechanisms for promoting outstanding individuals, more and more attention has recently been paid to the development of leadership skills among middle and lower-level managers, as companies realize that success actually depends on leadership potential in the broadest sense. After all, not only top managers, but also ordinary employees can and should form their own point of view, propose improvements, involve others in the work and achieve the implementation of plans.

Here are a few examples where broad leadership potential determines the success of a particular undertaking or the functioning of the company as a whole.

To remain globally competitive, large metallurgical companies must continuously improve production activities. Our experience shows that the quality of these improvements depends as much on the initiative of rank-and-file employees who know their area of ​​expertise and identify even small opportunities for improvement as much as on larger-scale changes driven by higher-level employees. Enormous potential for improving operational efficiency exists in many Russian industrial companies, and it is thanks to the leadership qualities of mid- and lower-level employees that “rationalization” proposals can be effectively implemented.

Building a sales system in a financial company requires leadership skills from lower-level employees, such as insurance agents. The success of each individual transaction and the overall image of the company in the market depend on their ingenuity, responsible and interested attitude to business.

For many professional organizations- legal or consulting companies- there is no rigid formal structure, and therefore no hierarchy, and therefore they are especially dependent on the leadership qualities and initiative of all employees in the process of continuous acquisition of knowledge and the development of new creative approaches.

LEADERSHIP: INNATE OR ACQUIRED

For many Russian entrepreneurs of the first wave, the problem of developing leadership qualities seems far-fetched. In their opinion, leadership is a gift given to a person by nature, and either it is there or it is not and never will be. However, at least three objections can be made to them. Firstly, Western companies have been successfully developing and nurturing leaders for decades. Secondly, no one is born a leader. There are people with such inclinations, but in order to turn into real leaders, they need to develop their potential, and this cannot be done without special knowledge and skills. And thirdly: if you look at the biography of successful Russian entrepreneurs, it will become clear that many of them went through a certain school of leadership in Komsomol or party work.

Having recognized the very possibility of developing leadership in a company, you need to understand what leadership qualities need to be developed, how to rebuild the personnel development system, the culture of the company as a whole, in order to promptly identify future leaders, educate them, promote them through the ranks and retain them in the company. Some of the most successful global companies are renowned not only for their great leaders, but also for their ability to develop people at all levels of the organization into leaders. Jack Welch, the already mentioned head of General Electric, understood that this was the only way to ensure effective leadership of a huge company. As a result, General Electric has developed a distinctive leadership culture aimed at developing and promoting talented employees.

Of course, different levels of people's careers require different leadership skills. At the lower levels, leadership implies the ability and desire to take responsibility, treating the assigned work as one’s own business, and the willingness to go beyond the scope of the task. As you move up, the requirements change: with increasing levels of responsibility, the ability to develop necessary qualities in other employees. At the top rungs of the career ladder, the decisive qualities are ownership of the future of the company and the ability to lead others.

RUSSIAN CONDITIONS FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

IN last years Russian companies paid more and more attention to improving the efficiency of their activities. Many of the most obvious changes have already been made, and, judging by the experience of the evolution of companies in other countries, in the near future one of the key tasks of Russian business will be the development of leadership potential at all levels of the organization. Already now, in many companies, shareholders and top managers attract specialists from outside so that they not only bring with them the missing knowledge and skills, but also contribute to the creation of an appropriate corporate culture, restructuring the company's operations and leadership development.

At the same time, when planning activities to develop broad leadership potential, one cannot fail to take into account some features of the Russian business environment. The considerations given below do not pretend to be scientific, but they are based on many years of observations of the activities of Russian companies and a comparison of some Russian characteristics with “how it’s done in the West.”

Even a cursory glance at the history of the development of Russian business is enough to understand: the country has powerful leadership potential - the necessary “raw material” for growing leaders. One cannot help but be amazed that over the decades of a planned economy in the country, the spirit of entrepreneurship has not died. The time that has passed since the collapse of the USSR has shown that in Russia there are business leaders who can form, develop and reform large companies that can compete in the global market.

Russian businessmen are distinguished not only by an amazing will to win and a readiness to achieve it by any means necessary, but also by a more pronounced belief in their own strengths and a desire to act than many of their Western colleagues. Giving up, backing down in the face of difficulties, or admitting that “it can’t be done” is not in character Russian businessmen. Unlike many Western business leaders, Russians are often the main shareholders of the companies they lead and therefore are sincerely interested in initiatives to increase business value, in various kinds of changes, improvements and experiments.

There are, however, a number of Russian characteristics that complicate the development of leadership qualities in a wide range of managers, and they cannot be ignored when developing appropriate programs. Some of these features are explained by the cultural specifics of the country, others are more likely of a structural nature and are determined by the recent past of Russian organizations and enterprises, and others are associated with the youth of Russian business. Among key features the following can be distinguished:

• Dominance of personal relationships over professional ones. Personal relationships play a much more important role in Russia than in a typical Western organization. This situation could be considered quite normal at the stage when companies were just being formed and loyalty was more important than professionalism, but the nature of personal relationships with decision-makers, and not professionalism or the presence of leadership qualities, remains to this day in many companies the most important factor promotions on career ladder. In many Russian organizations in fact, an alternative hierarchy has emerged, built on personal connections and often contradicts the professional requirements of the organization.
• Inability to work in a team. For decades, the Soviet management system was based on a strict hierarchy, and therefore many Russian business leaders, despite their individual strengths, do not know how to work in a team and establish a team approach in the organization as a whole. At the same time, Western companies are increasingly aware of the importance of creating a team environment in which all managers work together as equals and make their own special contribution to the overall success of the company. Teamwork and horizontal communication are especially important in organizations such as law firms and consulting firms, but even in manufacturing companies, some issues can only be resolved by a team - especially those that require the expertise of specialists in different fields. For example, managing an oil field involves managing a reservoir, a well stock, and onshore infrastructure, and one professional, even the highest class, cannot always make a qualified decision, which is why Western oil companies have cross-functional teams managing the field. In Russia, this practice is taking root slowly.
• Excessive control and unclear distribution of responsibilities. For many Russian companies, the problem of theft and corruption at various levels is still relevant, so management is introducing total control mechanisms. At the same time, such measures often prevent the decentralization and delegation of authority necessary for leadership development. The most successful international companies, in order to stimulate the development of entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills, give middle managers more and more freedom and at the same time give them more responsibility for the work of their departments. In this case, only pre-agreed key parameters are controlled. As a result, many companies have significantly reduced the number of levels in their structures, increased operational efficiency, and become more responsive to external changes. Russian companies, on the contrary, often do not have clearly defined areas of responsibility and effective decision-making procedures, since their managers believe that thanks to such a structure of organizations they will be able to control the work of all departments and fight theft.
• Lack of experience and culture of personnel development. Many Russian companies do not yet have a broad view of the problem of personnel development, and their managers do not have modern knowledge and skills in this area. For example, Russian companies focus on financial ways stimulating employees (which are really important), but do not always pay enough attention to other, no less effective factors of motivation - involvement in a common vision, emotional attachment to work or team, education, etc.

Russian businessmen did not have the opportunity to accumulate significant experience in the field of developing corporate culture and nurturing corporate leadership - they were faced with other tasks. Now, in order to master the tools for creating and setting up a system for developing leadership potential, they will have to learn a lot, reconsider their views, and make significant changes. And the sooner Russian business understands the main obstacles to leadership development, the faster this process will begin.

ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP

In The Will to Lead, Marvin Bauer, one of the founders of McKinsey and its director from 1950-1967, persuades leaders to abandon hierarchical structures and develop leadership, first and foremost, within themselves.

Hierarchical systems do not meet modern requirements - in an increasingly competitive environment, companies need to become more flexible. According to Bauer, the command system cannot simply be improved, it must be replaced by a new one, leadership must replace absolute power; the company must be managed by a whole network of leaders who work at all levels of the organization.

The most common definition of the concept of “leader” sounds something like this: a person who sets a goal and is able to attract others to achieve it. Anyone who wants to become a leader must have certain qualities and character traits. But if it is difficult to change the character traits given by nature, then the qualities have more in common with skills, and therefore it is easier to acquire them. Here's what Marvin Bauer says about some of the essential qualities of a true leader.

• Honesty. Leadership experts believe that integrity is the most important leadership virtue. It’s worth telling the truth, if only because it’s easier. As ex-DuPont CEO Richard Heckert taught: “If you always tell the truth, you don’t need to remember everything you say.” I noticed that the leaders I trusted the most were honest about the little things, not to mention the bigger things. Therefore, for example, they carefully verified even those statements to the press that, it would seem, did not have much significance. Honesty in everything - good way build trust within and outside the organization.
• Restraint and ease. A person who is arrogant, arrogant and narcissistic cannot be a leader by definition. But a leader should not be shy either. True leaders think not about themselves, but about the company and their subordinates, behave informally and at ease, and therefore create an informal environment around themselves. You can show restraint and informality in different ways, for example, not having luxurious offices. I know executives of large companies who, like everyone else, stand in line at the cafeteria and eat at the same table with their colleagues.
• Listening skills. It may not seem all that important, but I've found it to be true many times, even though most leaders in hierarchical companies don't have this skill. At a meeting, they interrupt their subordinates - the second time, these people most likely will not want to speak, no matter how important the issue. Such leaders are so incapable of listening that they turn into leaders in the eyes of their subordinates by simply stopping talking and starting listening. Employees perceive such metamorphoses well, and the bosses themselves are amazed at how much important they learn.
• Susceptibility. The all-powerful boss sits at the top and rarely comes down. They don’t argue with him, don’t ask him “unnecessary” questions, and try not to upset him with bad news. This is how the leader becomes self-confident and self-sufficient and loses sensitivity. As a result, the quality of decision-making suffers. A receptive leader is better informed and has more productive relationships with colleagues and subordinates. He never says “no” right away, but leaves himself time to think and, whatever his decision, does not forget to inform those concerned about it.
• The ability to put yourself in another's position. To convince others, you need to know what they think. Of course, employees won't tell their boss all the time, but he can develop the ability to sense what's going on with them. One day, a colleague convinced me to switch from commands to persuasion when communicating with subordinates. I understood that it would be easier for me to convince a person if I knew about his feelings and experiences. I had to take a fresh look at my colleagues, rely on insight, intuition, empathy to put myself in their position. In the end, I learned to do this quite tolerably and I think that any leader can do it. You just need to be tactful, sensitive and careful in your expressions. I don't think I said anything new, although such simple things are often forgotten.
• Initiative. This most important quality Any leader is easy to develop. Just don’t waste time: think, soberly assess the situation and start acting. It is known that hierarchical systems suppress initiative, especially at its lower levels. But if a company is run by leaders, they will not miss new opportunities and implement them. Along with managers, ordinary employees can also show initiative here. But the competitiveness of the company depends on this. Ability to motivate. Today, motivation too often comes down to the typical command-and-control system of monetary incentives or promises of promotion. But in companies based on leadership, people are much more motivated by the results of their work, the feeling that they are contributing to the development of the company, that they are adequately assessed and respected. In addition, in such companies the employees themselves are often interested in improving financial results companies, so financial incentives work better.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN RUSSIAN COMPANIES

What needs to be done to develop leadership potential in Russian company? Identifying the problems that prevent this from happening is only the first step in the right direction. Companies must create conditions for the development of leadership potential at all levels of the organization and facilitate this development in every possible way.

One of the most important conditions is decentralization and delegation of authority, abandonment of traditional Russian methods of increasing employee responsibility, such as hierarchical control, in favor of an entrepreneurial attitude to work. Experience shows that the distribution of powers and responsibilities has a strong motivating effect on employees and increases the efficiency of their work. It is no coincidence that most successful large Western corporations are built on the principles of decentralization and stimulating entrepreneurship: they realized that bureaucratic hierarchy is incompatible with the development of leadership potential.

Second required condition- focus on the development of key employees, and therefore leadership potential, at all levels of the company. McKinsey research shows that the total shareholder return of companies that are leaders in the field of workforce development is almost 20% higher than the industry average. This result, of course, is explained not only by successes in the development of people, but the importance of this factor cannot be underestimated. It is therefore very important to build a comprehensive system that would stimulate the development of leadership potential in the organization. In fact, many elements of such a system are quite obvious and “mechanistic”, which, however, does not detract from their importance. This includes continuous practical training for all today's and tomorrow's leaders, and the involvement of leaders at all levels of the organization in the recruitment, assessment and career advancement of employees, and not only their functional units. All this not only improves work efficiency, but also helps employees better understand the leadership qualities and abilities that are most highly valued in the company and try to develop them in themselves.

Thirdly, the development of human potential and the education of future leaders should be a task of paramount importance for the company's chief executive. Leaders of the most successful companies devote a significant portion of their time (as well as company resources) to the development of employees at all levels of the organization. "His main task I believe in the development of our human potential, so I perceive every conversation, every meeting as an opportunity to talk about people. This is how we run GE,” said Jack Welch. In the most successful companies, top managers often participate in appointments even to the most ordinary positions, which top managers of less prosperous companies do not deign to pay attention to.

Finally, top managers should try to work more on themselves and develop their leadership skills, for example by using different management styles depending on the situation. It is important to remember that the management style and demeanor of the first person, as a rule, is reproduced in the company - copied by direct subordinates, and then repeated at all levels of the organization. By demonstrating openness and restraint, showing that he values ​​initiative and responsibility, the leader evokes a response from the team. We witnessed a rare “incident”: a worker was not afraid to tell the first person of the company who inspected new system control on the shop floor, about how they “bypass” this system. Before this, the manager believed that the system was working effectively; moreover, he gave the workers a bonus for excellent work. How high must an ordinary employee’s trust in the head of the company be in order to come out with such recognition! This behavior is largely the merit of the leader. Having shown himself to be an open and receptive person, he created an atmosphere of trust in the company so that people were not afraid to talk about failures, was able to involve employees in solving serious production problems, improving operational activities, and thereby made them leaders.

Russian businessmen need to decentralize their companies, delegate authority to leaders at all levels of the organization and focus on building a development system and leadership potential. Thus Russian enterprises will be able to overcome cultural barriers to leadership development and close the gap separating them from the most competitive companies in the world.

Footnotes

For more information on different leadership styles, see "The Many Faces of Leadership" in this issue of McKinsey.

10 Essential Qualities of a Business Leader

I have always considered myself a leader. In principle, I was and still am. Of course, during your stay in network marketing these qualities were subject to revision and serious revaluation. Because, working for hire and being a manager, qualities of a slightly different category were in demand and developed.

good organizational skills;

ability to lead a large team to achieve a set goal;

the ability to motivate subordinates, inspire them with ideas, and control their implementation of assigned tasks;

ability to work with clients to increase sales and profitability of the company;

the ability to complete a task at any cost;

and many many others…

But! I had administrative methods of influence in my hands - dismissal, promotion, the opportunity to express gratitude or reprimand, the opportunity to increase the bonus or deprive it. My subordinates viewed me exclusively in this light and took into account all the possible actions that I could take in relation to them depending on the result of their work.

Yes, people followed me, but solely for the reason that I am their leader, not because I am somehow special and amazing (although in fact I am special and amazing :)). In the same way, they are now following another leader who heads this organization. The rules of the game have not changed, just one screw (in their understanding) was replaced by another. People followed me because I was their leader, whether they liked it or not.

In network marketing the situation is completely opposite. Robin Sharma wrote a lot and well about what qualities a leader should have in his books “The Path to Greatness”, “A Leader Without Titles and Titles” and many others. Our leaders write a lot about this on their blogs; Ivan Samokhin sparked a very interesting discussion on his blog in the article “Superman or qualities of a leader.”

I'm currently finishing up a course on Alpha Leadership by Mike Dillard and Ryan Angelo. Powerful thing!

But today I want to express my personal opinion about what qualities, in my opinion, a network marketing leader should have. And I have already learned the immutable truth that only Leaders achieve success in network marketing. If you want to be successful in MLM, then you must have Leadership Qualities or develop them in yourself.

Qualities of a Network Marketing Leader:

Responsibility for yourself and your partners. There is no need to blame other people and circumstances for the fact that something did not work out for you, that the team does not work coherently and does not achieve the planned results. Only you yourself are responsible for this. You need to analyze all your actions, efforts, understand or discuss with your Mentor where there are mistakes and shortcomings, stop all excuses. Roll up your sleeves, get involved in hard work, understand and realize that this will last for a long time, that you constantly need to work on yourself and your team. Take responsibility!

Excellent organizational skills. This includes the ability to plan. Effective planning lies in the ability to lay the necessary goals in the subconscious. Yours and your team members. A lot of books have been written on this topic. It all comes down to the fact that you need to think through the desired goal, then return to the current situation, think about intentions that can lead to the goal, and then begin to act. I would include the fulfillment of the plan here. When you set intentions for true desires and begin to act, you can enter a period of life when everything comes true easily and as if by itself. But this is a topic for a separate post.

Eagerness and ability to learn. You need to study not only in order to know something additional. You need to study in order to be more capable, richer, smarter and be able to pass this on to other people. Whoever does not move forward in his development moves inexorably backward, because there is no standing position (dead point) in development. While you are learning, you are developing. It was only here that I realized that I am far from a perfect person, that I need to work on myself systematically and constantly. What I do with great pleasure!

Self confidence. The future is built on confidence, wishes come true and life becomes predictable. If you are not confident in yourself, doubt the abilities of yourself and your team, are not confident in the company and product, then do not expect business results. If you are confident in yourself, people will follow you, because this confidence is always felt.

Charisma. Many books have been written about this. Part of it comes from self-confidence. Or is it personal charm? A charismatic personality speaks the same way to the janitor, Uncle Vasya, and to the President of his company or country. Because he respects every person, sees in him a person worthy of his attention. This also includes the originality of the individual. If you are like everyone else, one of the gray masses, people will not follow you. You have to stand out as something very good and positive. People should feel your success and that you are able to show them their own path to success and guide them along this path.

Endurance, patience, ability to take a blow. And draw the right conclusions. The leader is prepared for the fact that hundreds of people will refuse him; not everyone will believe him. Yes, he doesn’t need everyone. Moreover, he must be prepared for attacks from those who have not succeeded in this business, who do not consider him serious due to some of their own beliefs, and who simply want to prick him in passing. So, all these attacks and failures only make a true leader stronger, more confident in himself and his abilities. You know that Bill Gates was called “crazy”, and Steve Jobs made his first copies of products in the garage, because no one believed in him and he had no other place. Where are Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and those who did not believe in them now? There are many such examples that can be given.

Honesty and discipline. We have a serious, honest, legal, transparent business. If your income is $800, then you do not tell your partners that you have already earned $80,000. But tell us how you plan to achieve such income yourself and bring your partners to it. And you will act in accordance with the plan. Accurately, following all the rules and on time. Because vague rules lead to vague results, and clear rules lead to clear ones.

Professionalism. If you want to achieve something, you need to be a professional. Then people will follow you, because that’s how the system works. And the more you teach others, the more you sharpen these skills in yourself. By giving, you receive! This law always works. The Professional's business results are excellent, his business tools work like clockwork, his team is well-coordinated, and everything else is in excellent condition.

Positive attitude and attitude towards life. Have you ever seen a leader whining and complaining about life? Even if something didn’t work out the way he wanted, he sees it as an excellent opportunity for his own growth. He knows how to see wonderful moments and events around him and in his life that make him feel like a happy person. He always smiles, and this smile is sincere because it comes from the very depths of his soul.

Oratory, influence and persuasion skills. You can’t build a business silently :) A leader must be able to speak, structure his speech competently, conduct dialogues with his partners and candidates and be very convincing. He conducts his speeches, presentations, and trainings in such a way that people want to return to them, because they are very effective, they help them better understand themselves and achieve good luck in business. Of course, for this you need to read a lot, work a lot on yourself and improve.

Probably, for me today these are the main qualities of a Leader. This list will be adjusted and supplemented in accordance with how I continue to grow and develop in business.

But the main difference between a Leader in Network Marketing, who has a large team of distributors, and a Leader in hired work, who has a large team of subordinates, is the following. They follow the boss because he is the boss, and if you want to work in this company, then you have no other choice. And, as a rule, no one is interested in what qualities this boss has. People follow the Leader in network marketing because he has an excellent set of qualities and see in him their path to success and prosperity. It is impossible to follow a Leader in network marketing under compulsion, and they will not. They will follow you if they believe that you are a Leader! I was convinced of this by my own example.

And there are very few people who were born with the qualities of a Leader or absorbed these qualities with their mother’s milk. Moreover, we lived and still continue to live in conditions where bright leaders are not really needed, but the gray mass, performers, cogs are needed. Unfortunately. But I hasten to please you that you can become a Leader, you can learn all the qualities of a Leader!

Each person has his own prototypes for inheritance, idols, or simply people whose life stories motivate them to act. In world history there are more than one example of biographies of famous people, after reading which you are inspired to do absolutely anything. Often these are people who lived centuries ago, but there are also our contemporaries. For some they are athletes, for others they are politicians, for others they are successful entrepreneurs. But they all have one thing in common - they are leaders. And even today, when the world is changing rapidly, sometimes several centuries after the death of such figures, their ideas continue to remain relevant and contribute to the unity of people. Isn't this the task of a real leader?

Political leaders

Professional politicians and skilled statesmen gave history greatest number famous leaders. The reason for this is the specificity of the area, where such people quite often decided the fate of the world, and their names were constantly heard. In addition, success in politics requires charisma, grit, and usually excellent public speaking skills.

Winston Spencer Leonard Churchill(1874-1965) - British statesman, political and military figure, Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940-1945 and 1951-1955. Journalist, writer, scientist. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The greatest Briton in history, according to a BBC poll in 2002.

W. Churchill is a man of extraordinary energy and erudition. He worked in many ministries and had direct influence on the development of military action plans during the two world wars. Reading his “The Second World War”, you never cease to be amazed at the detail with which the author describes the diplomatic vicissitudes of the late 30s, and on the next page he gives a complete technical description magnetic mine. As a leader, Churchill took an active part in everything and was interested in everything that directly or indirectly related to government. He was an excellent speaker - his speeches on the radio during the war (for example, the famous “It was theirs”) best time") attracted huge audiences, instilling optimism and pride in Britain. Many of the British politician’s speeches remain examples of oratory, and some phrases have become catchphrases.

« Success cannot be guaranteed, it can only be earned»

Franklin Delano Roosevelt(1882-1945) - American statesman and politician, 32nd President of the United States, the only president in the history of the country elected to the highest public office 4 times in a row. Author of the New Deal economic program that helped the United States exit Great Depression, as well as one of the consistent inspirers of the idea of ​​​​creating the UN.

F. Roosevelt is an example of a leader capable of uniting a variety of people in difficult times to achieve a common goal. Confined to a wheelchair due to an illness, this politician managed to assemble a team of many specialists and achieved support in Congress for reforms aimed at improving the economy. The Roosevelt administration gave refuge to many Jewish refugees from Germany after the Nazis came to power there. Possessing extraordinary courage, determination and strong character, this figure had a huge influence on international politics in the 30s - the first half of the 40s. XX century.

« Happiness lies in the joy of achieving a goal and the thrill of creative effort»

Nelson Rolilahla Mandela(1918-2013) - 8th president and first black president of South Africa, a famous fighter for human rights and against apartheid. He was convicted for his activities and spent 27 years in prison, from 1962 to 1990. Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 1993, honorary member of more than 50 international universities.

N. Mandela is a great example of transactional leadership. Having devoted his life to the idea of ​​achieving equal rights for the black population of South Africa with whites, he advocated peaceful transformations, but did not hesitate to prove himself right by carrying out acts of sabotage through the efforts of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). After winning the presidential election in 1994, N. Mandela appointed his main political opponent from the National Party, F. de Klerk, as first deputy, wanting to complete the settlement process that began in the 90s. Today this politician is one of the most authoritative fighters against HIV-AIDS.

« If you have a dream, nothing will stop you from making it come true as long as you don't give up.»

Margaret Hilda Thatcher(1925-2013) - Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1979-1990. The only woman to hold this position, as well as the first female prime minister of a European state. Author of tough economic measures to improve the economy, called “Tet-cherism”. She received the nickname “Iron Lady” for the tenacity with which she pursued her policy and for her constant criticism of the Soviet leadership.

M. Thatcher's leadership style, which best characterizes her leadership qualities, was close to authoritarian. She is a typical businesswoman: reasonable, logical, cold to emotions, but at the same time having a feminine perspective on the problem. The determination with which the Falklands War was fought marks her out as a confident politician, and the letters she herself signed for the family of each victim mark her as a mother. The conflict with the IRA, casualties, attempts on the lives of the prime minister and her husband, difficult relations with the USSR - this is an incomplete list of what M. Thatcher had to face. How she dealt with these challenges, history will judge. Only one fact is interesting - the Iron Lady was indifferent to feminism, trying with her whole life to show that there is no discrimination, and in order to achieve something it is enough to be better than everyone else.

« If you want something to be said, ask a man about it; if you want something done, ask a woman»

Examples of Business Leaders

Business, unlike politics, this is the area where the word “success” is applied to famous people much more often. Everyone wants to be successful, and this partly explains the popularity of books written by famous businessmen. Leaders in the economic sphere are often bold innovators, risk-takers and optimists who can captivate people with their ideas.

John Davison Rockefeller(1839-1937) - American entrepreneur, philanthropist, the first dollar billionaire in human history. Founder of Standard Oil, the University of Chicago, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research and the Rockefeller Foundation, which was engaged in philanthropy, donating huge sums to fight disease and education.

J. Rockefeller was a competent manager. In the early days of his oil company, he refused to pay salaries in cash, rewarding employees with company shares. This made them interested in the success of the business, because everyone’s profit directly depended on the company’s income. There are many not very pleasant rumors about the further stage of his career - the takeover of other companies. But turning to the facts, we can judge J. Rockefeller as a religious leader - since childhood, he transferred 10% of his income to the Baptist church, donated to the development of medicine and Christian communities, and in his interviews he repeatedly emphasized that he cared about the welfare of his compatriots.

« “Your well-being depends on your own decisions.”»

Henry Ford(1863-1947) - American inventor, industrialist, owner and founder of the Ford Motor Company. He was the first to use an industrial conveyor for car production, thanks to which Ford cars were for some time the most affordable on the market. He wrote the book “My Life, My Achievements,” which became the basis for such a political economic phenomenon as “Fordism.”

G. Ford, without a doubt, was one of those people who had the greatest influence on the industrial development of the world in the twentieth century. O. Huxley in his dystopia “Brave New World” connects the beginning of consumer society with the name of Ford, whom the world of the future considers to be God. Management decisions G. Ford were revolutionary in many ways (increase wages almost 2 times allowed us to gather the best specialists), which was dissonant with the authoritarian leadership style, which was manifested in the desire to make all decisions ourselves and completely control the work process, confrontation with trade unions, as well as an anti-Semitic worldview. As a result, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy by the end of the industrialist's life.

« Time doesn't like to be wasted»

« Everything can be done better than it has been done so far»

Sergey Mikhailovich Brin(b. 1973) is an American entrepreneur and scholar in the fields of computing, information technology and economics. Developer and co-founder of the Google search engine and Google Inc. A native of the USSR, he now ranks 21st on the list of the richest people on the planet.

In general, leading a modest lifestyle and not being a public figure, S. Brin is known as one of the world's most respected experts in the field of search technologies and IT. Currently in charge special projects at Google Inc. S. Brin advocates for the protection of the right to public access to information, freedom and openness on the Internet. He gained particular popularity among the Internet community after speaking out against radical anti-online piracy programs initiated by the US government.

« It doesn't matter whether I'm rich or not, I'm happy because I enjoy what I do. And this is actually the main wealth»

Stephen Paul Jobs(1955-2011) – American entrepreneur, developer and co-founder Apple companies, NeXT and the animation company Pixar. Headed the development software for iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone and iPad. According to many journalists, Jobs is the “father of the digital revolution.”

Today, the name Steve Jobs is as successful a marketing symbol as a bitten apple. Biographies of the Apple founder sell millions of copies, thanks to which the company's products also benefit. This, to some extent, is what Jobs is all about: the success of his company and products is a merit not only of quality, but also of a set of actions planned to the smallest detail in marketing, sales, and support service. Many criticized him for his authoritarian management style, aggressive actions towards competitors, and the desire for total control of products even after they were sold to the buyer. But is it not because of this that “Applemania” became a real cultural trend of the early 21st century?

« Innovation distinguishes the leader from the catch-up»

Leadership in culture

Without going into a philosophical debate regarding the influence of mass culture on the civilizational development of mankind, we note the fact that it is the leaders in this area who most often become the subject of adoration and inheritance, understandable and simple, the same as an ordinary member of society. The reason for this is the very mass nature of the concept of pop culture and its accessibility.

Andy Warhole(1928-1987) - American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher, film director, cult figure in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general. Warhol is the world's second best-selling artist after Pablo Picasso.

The influence of E. Warhol with his works as a hymn to the era of mass consumption had a huge impact on the development of culture in the 60s. and remain so to this day. Many fashion designers consider his services to the fashion world simply titanic. The artist’s name is strongly associated with such concepts as a bohemian lifestyle and outrageousness. Undoubtedly, even today, Warhol's works do not lose their popularity and remain very expensive, and many cultural figures continue to inherit his style.

« The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Stockholm is McDonald's. The most beautiful thing in Florence is McDonald's. There is nothing beautiful in Beijing and Moscow yet»

John Winston Lennon(1940-1980) - British rock musician, singer, poet, composer, artist, writer. One of the founders and member of the group " The Beatles" Political activist, preached the ideas of equality and brotherhood of people, peace, freedom. According to a BBC study, he ranks 8th in the ranking of the greatest Britons of all time.

J. Lennon was one of the most famous spiritual leaders and inspiration for the hippie youth movement, an active preacher of the peaceful resolution of any conflicts existing in the world. A large number of young musicians admired his talent and work. Lennon for his contribution to world culture And social activities was awarded the Order of the British Empire. The group’s work, as well as their solo career, had a huge impact on the development of the culture of the twentieth century, and the songs rightly occupy places in the list of the best works ever written.

« Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans.»

Michael Joseph Jackson(1958-2009) - American entertainer, songwriter, dancer, composer, choreographer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. The most successful performer in the history of pop music, winner of 15 Grammy awards and hundreds of others. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records 25 times; Jackson's albums have sold about a billion copies worldwide.

M. Jackson is the man who took the music industry and choreographic performances to a whole new level. The number of fans of his talent is measured by millions of people from all over the world. Without exaggeration, this man is one of the most significant personalities of pop culture of our time, who largely determined its development with his life and work.

« You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if you don't prepare and work according to plan, everything will go to waste.»

Sports leaders

Sport- one of the spheres of mass culture. To achieve success in this area, you need to have talent, stand out with physical or mental abilities, but there are often cases when success was achieved by those who persistently pursued the goal through exhausting training and complete dedication. This makes sport a subject of idealization, because it knows most of all examples when a boy from the Brazilian slums or a person from a family of disadvantaged African emigrants reached the top, becoming an idol for millions of the same children around the world.

Edson Arantis do Nascimento(better known as Pele) (born 1940) – Brazilian football player, entrepreneur, football functionary. Participant in four FIFA World Cups, 3 of which Brazil won. The best football player of the 20th century according to the FIFA Football Commission, the best athlete of the 20th century according to the International Olympic Committee. He is one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to Time magazine.

The success story of the football player Pele most closely matches the title description of a boy from the slums. Many of the Brazilian’s achievements remain unique to this day; almost all children who kick a ball in the yard know his name. For admirers of his genius, the example of Pele is not only an example of one of the greatest football players, but also a successful businessman and public figure who turned a childhood hobby into his life’s work.

« Success is not an accident. It's about hard work, perseverance, training, study, sacrifice and most of all, love for what you do or learn to do.»

Michael Jeffrey Jordan(born 1963) is a famous American basketball player and shooting guard. One of the best basketball players in the world at this position. Multiple NBA championship winner, two-time Olympic champion. Today he owns the Charlotte Bobcats bookmaker. Especially for M. Jordan, Nike developed the Air Jordan shoe brand, which is now popular all over the world.

According to research published in an article titled "The Jordan Effect" in Fortune magazine, the economic impact of the brand called "Michael Jordan" was estimated at $8 billion. M. Jordan is a cult figure for basketball, American and world fans of this game. It was he who played a huge role in the popularization of this sport.

« Boundaries, like fears, most often turn out to be just illusions»

Muhammad Ali(Cassius Marcellus Clay) (born 1942) is an American professional heavyweight boxer, one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing. Sports personality of the century according to the BBC, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, philanthropist, excellent speaker.

One of the most famous boxers of the “golden era of boxing,” Muhammad Ali is an example of how a talented person, even after losing everything, continues to work hard on himself, again reaches the top. His three fights with Joe Frazier are among the best boxing matches of all time and, without a doubt, are known to all fans of this sport. Even after his career ended, Muhammad Ali remained one of the most recognizable athletes of the 20th century; many books, newspaper and magazine articles have been written about him, and more than a dozen films have been made.

« Worrying all the time about past mistakes is the worst mistake»

Military leaders

Today, thanks to the rapid development of technology, including military technology, there is not much room left in history for a military genius. But even a century ago, the fate of individual states and the world as a whole sometimes depended on commanders and military leaders.

Alexander III the Great of Macedon(356-323 BC) - Macedonian king from 336 BC. e. from the Argead dynasty, commander, creator of a world power. He studied philosophy, politics, ethics, literature from Aristotle. Already in antiquity, Alexander gained the reputation of one of the greatest commanders in history.

Alexander the Great, whose military and diplomatic talents are beyond doubt, was a born leader. It was not for nothing that the young ruler gained love among his soldiers and respect among his enemies at such a young age (he died at 32): he always kept himself simple, rejected luxury and preferred to endure the same inconveniences in numerous campaigns as his troops, did not attack at night, was honest in negotiations. These features are a composite image of the characters from books and films that we all loved in childhood, heroes idealized in world culture.

« I owe it to Philip that I live, and to Aristotle that I live with dignity.»

Napoleon I Bonaparte(1769-1821) - Emperor of France in 1804-1815, great commander and statesman, military theorist, thinker. He was the first to separate artillery into a separate branch of the military and began to use artillery preparation.

Individual battles won by Napoleon were included in military textbooks as examples of the art of warfare. The emperor was far ahead of his contemporaries in his views on tactics and strategy of war, and government. His life itself is evidence of how one can develop a leader within oneself by making this a life goal. Not being of high origin, not standing out among his peers at military school for special talents, Napoleon became one of the few cult personalities in world history thanks to constant self-development, unprecedented hard work and extraordinary thinking.

« A leader is a merchant of hope»

Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov(1802-1855) – Russian naval commander, admiral. He circumnavigated the world in the team of M. P. Lazarev. Defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Sinop during the Crimean War. Recipient of many awards and orders.

The leadership qualities and skills of P. S. Nakhimov were most fully demonstrated during his leadership of the defense of Sevastopol. He personally toured the front lines, thanks to which he had the greatest moral influence on soldiers and sailors, as well as civilian population, mobilized to defend the city. The leadership's talent, multiplied by his energy and ability to find an approach to everyone, made Nakhimov a “father-benefactor” for his subordinates.

« Of the three ways to influence subordinates: rewards, fear and example - the last is the surest»

Reviews, comments and suggestions

The above list of outstanding leaders from various fields is only a small part of the material in this direction. You can express your opinion or write about a person who is an example for you using the form below.

Who is a charismatic leader...

“Charisma”, “charismatic leader”, “charismatic leadership” - these extremely popular concepts are overgrown with the most outlandish interpretations. It is known that translated from ancient Greek, “charisma” is “mercy, divine gift, grace.” The expression “charismatic personality” or “he has charisma” means that a person is endowed with a special ability to lead and even inspire people to do great things. However, reputable researchers are skeptical about the term “charismatic leader”. James McGregor Burns, for example, avoided it, considering it too abstract. He preferred to talk about “heroic leadership,” defining it as faith in the personality of the leader, regardless of his abilities, experience and position. Let's look at specific examples of charismatic leadership in business and politics.

...in business

There are several names in corporate history that evoke, if not awe, then special respect. Among them is the name of Henry Ford, one of the founders of the US automobile industry. What does he think? Boris Shpotov, biographer of the tycoon, “Ford was a master of organizing public opinion in favor of his business,” he “realized the importance of good relations with the press and targeted influence on public opinion.” To this end, he made friends with journalists, published corporate newspaper, made documentaries about the company, organized tours of the plant. Henry Ford wrote several books that are rightfully included in the golden fund of business literature. And most importantly, people liked him, he knew how to present himself in such a way that his shortcomings looked like advantages.

However, just because Henry Ford was a good PR man does not mean he was a good leader. Apparently, he did not understand the meaning of the word “manager.” Ford was one of the pioneers big business who sought, if not to do everything with their own hands, then to control everything completely. Peter Drucker And John Kenneth Galbraith independently examined the reasons for the actual bankruptcy of the Ford Corporation during World War II and came to a joint conclusion: Henry Ford, the founder and owner of the corporation, sought to “make billions by running the company alone, without the help of managers.”

To do this, he fired the best managers and removed the rest from decision-making. As a result, things got so bad that the government was seriously considering nationalizing the corporation. Henry Ford died in 1947, leaving his grandson and heir Henry Ford II with a nearly bankrupt corporation that urgently needed to be saved.

This case is also interesting because it reveals the meaning of the concept of “managerial revolution”. When people talk about it, they usually mean two things: the transfer of power in large corporations from owners to hired managers and the increased influence of large corporations on government decisions. Viewed in this context, the managerial revolution in the West began in the first decades of the 20th century, although it was only recognized in the 1940s. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that power in corporations was transferred from the hands of a charismatic owner (Ford, Morgan, Carnegie, Krupp, Siemens, Daimler) into the hands of a professional, but not always charismatic, manager.

Extensive literature is devoted to the problem of leadership in management. For example, Edwards Deming believed that leadership should be instituted "at all levels of the corporate hierarchy." But the purpose of leadership, as he sees it, is “to help people do better work with less effort.” Should the manager performing this task also be a charismatic leader? Most likely this is not necessary. He must be a rationalizer and a good organizer, and enjoy authority among his subordinates.

There are times when a manager who does not stand out from the crowd is forced to become a leader of public opinion. This happened, for example, with Lee Iacocca, who gained fame during the financial crisis of the Crysler Corporation. Thanks to his charisma and negotiation skills, he managed to convince bankers and officials to delay the fulfillment of the corporation's financial obligations. True, it is unknown what helped him more - charisma or the ability to negotiate.

The need to combine leadership in public opinion with real management sometimes leads to a tandem of leaders, one of whom becomes a leader of public opinion, and the other is engaged in operational management. This was the case at Ford. Henry Ford worked with public opinion, and his partner James Cousins ​​handled operational management. Cousins ​​was a talented manager, a true professional. It was he who introduced fixed wages to the company and eliminated staff turnover. In 1917, Henry Ford, who sought sole control of the company, fired his colleague.

It should be recognized that most managers, including very talented and even outstanding ones, do not possess and do not strive to possess charismatic qualities. Jack Welch, a former CEO of General Electric, defined the role of a business leader as follows: “Leaders work harder than others, enjoy it, albeit not immediately, and ultimately grow self-esteem and confidence by accomplishing more than they ever thought possible.”

This is the definition of competitive, sprint leadership, not charismatic leadership. For such a leader, charisma can be a complementary, but not a defining, quality.

...in politics

The desire of political leaders to make a favorable impression is understandable. However, the most effective of them are able to distinguish between the spheres of public policy and real management of political and social processes. The 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, is considered one of the most striking examples of charismatic leadership in politics. Recently, the book “The Kennedy Effect” was even published, which, of course, is dedicated to charisma and how to develop it.

John Kennedy truly was a charismatic leader. It is unknown whether he would have become President of the United States if not for the phenomenon of television. By the way, then, during the 1960 election campaign, the first televised debates took place between presidential candidates - young Senator John Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Marshall McLuhan noted that Kennedy looked like a "shy young sheriff," and Nixon, "with his very dark eyes, tending to fixate on something, looked more like a railroad lawyer signing leases that were not in the interests of ordinary people in a small town." In the 1960 presidential election, John Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon by a slim margin of 119,000 votes out of 69 million voters.

Americans consider Kennedy's reign one of the most unsuccessful in the 20th century. He failed to get Congress to pass two key bills of his program: reducing income tax rates and protecting civil rights. The John Kennedy administration was unable to achieve any real results in both foreign and domestic affairs. domestic policy. Only the resolution of the Caribbean crisis is recognized as the only real achievement of this administration. Some observers argue that it was possible to overcome the crisis not because of, but despite the actions of the administration. In other words, President Kennedy did not/could not become/was not allowed to become (in politics this is the same thing) leader of change. Be that as it may, the 35th President of the United States began to enjoy popular love only after his tragic death.

Many have probably forgotten that the “father of perestroika” Mikhail Gorbachev, after his appointment as first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee in 1985, had incredible popularity in all levels of society. The young smiling public politician, who easily (so it seemed) communicated with people in the squares, impressed the general public. But growing criticism and the catastrophic situation in the economy took their toll - from a charismatic leader, Mikhail Gorbachev quickly turned into a functionary hated by everyone. Former Chairman KGB of the USSR and one of the leaders of the State Emergency Committee Vladimir Kryuchkov recalled: “I had the opportunity to be present more than once during conversations in Gorbachev’s narrow circle, including with those who actively supported him in perestroika, which usually encouraged frankness. I was increasingly possessed by the thought, and over time I came to the conviction that Gorbachev was only pretending to know what he was leading the country to. A strong opinion was created that Gorbachev was, at best, acting at random. And the more I became convinced of this, the more uneasy I became.” This opinion about the head of state was formed not only among his comrades-in-arms, but also among his opponents, open friends and secret enemies. Is it any wonder that they got rid of the President of the USSR as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Mythopoetic concept

In Rome, in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, there is the famous sculpture of Moses by Michelangelo. In terms of popularity, it is second only to the Florentine David. “In every muscle of the body, in every fold of clothing, the stern, primitive strength of the character of the great shepherd of nations is inscribed. The double radiance of the rays around the head - the indelible mark left by the vision of Jehovah on the forehead of the prophet - is striking in its resemblance to the double pointed horns of a goat. This emblem of wild energy and animal strength gives a menacing, striking expression to the face of the colossus,” is how art critic S. M. Brilliant describes this work. In this sense, Moses is a true charismatic leader, a mediator between divine revelation and the people. But the most important thing is that Moses rests his right hand on the tablet. As you know, he not only led the Jewish people out of Egypt, but also gave them the Law, a religious code that, with slight variations, is still in effect today. In other words, Moses turned out to be not just a charismatic leader, he became, as they would say today, leader of change. He was able not only to change the life of his people, but also to predetermine their history for many centuries to come. This is an example, as they say, for all time. A charismatic leader achieves his goals only if he can use his charisma as an agent for change.

Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) is considered a classic example of heroic (charismatic) leadership. Her history is incredibly complex due to the lack of reliable information. Many documents and evidence of that time were destroyed, many are still classified. Therefore, here we are dealing rather not with a real historical heroine, but with a character from a legend. Jeanne was an extraordinary person and could inspire people to exploits. She won her first victory at the head of an army of seven thousand near Orleans and therefore they began to call her the Maid of Orleans. After a series of brilliant military victories and (about (which is not customary to mention in an official biography) series of defeats, the king began to consider Jeanne as a threat to his rule. Through intrigue and outright betrayal, she was handed over to the British, who (at that time it was customary) accused her of witchcraft and burned her at the stake. However, there are versions that Joan of Arc survived. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Catholic Church canonized the Virgin of Orleans.

Over the centuries, debates about the personality and historical role of Joan of Arc have not stopped. For example, Voltaire dedicated the satirical poem “The Virgin of Orleans” to his compatriot, where he awarded her with such epithets, of which “harlot” is perhaps the most acceptable for the style of this publication .According to James McGregor Burns, Joan of Arc “remains more of a heroine of history than its creator.” And this is the most severe assessment of her activities, which is worth all Voltaire’s insults. Joan of Arc could not, did not want and probably did not set herself the goal of changing society or reassess its values. She could not stop the war, expel the invaders from France, or turn the tide of history. All she was capable of was to inspire, but this was not enough to win.

In this article, it would be possible to do without Joan of Arc, if modern female politicians were not so obsessively compared to her. It is unlikely that anyone would think of comparing German Chancellor Angela Merkel to her, but Yulia Tymoshenko is quite compared to her often. For example, theater director Anatoly Khostikoev promised to stage the rock opera “Joan of Arc”, the prototype of which should be Lady Yu. The poet Grigory Bulakh dedicated a poem to her entitled “Ukrainian Joan of Arc”, serious analytical publications publish articles in which draw parallels between Joan of Arc and the BYuT leader.

What do they want to emphasize with these comparisons? Well-wishers obviously point to Tymoshenko’s charisma, her symbolic role on the Ukrainian political scene, her ability to lead, her sacrifice, while her ill-wishers point to her doom. It should be noted that none of these qualities have anything to do with transformational leadership, much less effective leadership.

A few additional notes

What exactly is “charismatic leadership”? Concept from popular psychological literature? PR of training agencies, many of which have done training on “charisma building” for their business card? Or is this truly a mythopoetic concept?

The term “charismatic dominance” first appeared in sociological texts and was especially fully disclosed in the works Max Weber. He believed that “the charismatic leader is considered an internally “called” leader of the people, and the latter obey him not by custom or institution, but because they believe in him.” Historically, Weber associated such leaders with the figures of “the magician and the prophet, the chosen prince-warlord, the leader of the gang, the condottiere (mercenary knight).” Thus, the concept of “charisma” and everything associated with it, including charismatic leadership, is a sociological concept put at the service of political and business advice. For many years, this topic has been actively exploited by the authors of popular psychological texts. Recently, there has been a tendency to use the expressions “passionary” or “passionary leader” instead of the words “charismatic leader.” This is facilitated by the popularity of Lev Gumilyov’s books. But if you carefully analyze what he wrote about passionaries, it becomes clear that passionarity is a quality that is at a greater distance from effectiveness than charisma. “The impulse of passionarity can be so strong,” wrote Lev Gumilev“that the bearers of this trait, passionaries, cannot bring themselves to calculate the consequences of their actions.” In the book “Ethnogenesis and the Biosphere of the Earth” he gives examples of passionate personalities: Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Jan Hus, Archpriest Avvakum and the already mentioned Joan of Arc. Religious leaders Jan Hus, Archpriest Avvakum and the charismatic Joan of Arc were burned alive by their enemies. Napoleon died in exile (there are versions that he was poisoned). Whether the fates of the conqueror Alexander the Great and the dictator Sulla were happy, I invite the reader to judge for himself.

conclusions

In any situation, there will be people who will not notice any charisma in a charismatic leader or who will consider that this quality is not enough for real management. Almost half of US voters in 1960 preferred the “railroad lawyer” Nixon to the “young sheriff” Kennedy. And after John Kennedy and his successor Lyndon Johnson served as presidents, Nixon was not only able to return to the political stage, but also triumphantly win the presidential election in 1968.

Max Weber wrote that if a leader “is plagued by failure for a long time, and his leadership ceases to bring benefits to his followers, then his charismatic dominance is likely to disappear.” The example of Gorbachev is indicative in this sense.

A leader considered charismatic may have no power at all, despite his enormous influence. Joan of Arc, Alexander Kerensky, Hetman Skoropadsky, Georgy Zhukov, Leon Trotsky, Che Guevara - all these charismatic leaders either could not lay claim to power or were very quickly removed from it.

Peter Drucker, in an interview with a Russian publication, said: “I don’t believe in leaders. All this hype around them is dangerous nonsense. This is idle talk. Forget about it. It saddens me to see that after the 20th century with Hitler, Stalin and Mao, who were considered leaders (perhaps the greatest leaders of recent centuries), people still strive to find leaders, knowing about such terrible examples of “false” leaders. It is worth asking the questions: “What are their ideals? What are their values? Can we trust them? Do they have charisma? In my opinion, we have more than enough charisma over the past hundred years.”

And yet, charismatic leadership objectively exists, but belief in charisma as an indispensable attribute effective leader or politics is a false concept, an ideological media virus that has infected the worldview of millions of people. Whether this concept will be overcome or become dominant in management science remains to be seen.

home » Investments » Leading business leaders of global entrepreneurship. Different leadership styles and their implementation in business. Blake Mycoskie, founder of Toms