FIRST WHO…… THEN WHAT

BYMAJOR (RETD.) PRAVIN SINGH

CONFLUENCE

FIRST WHO…THEN WHAT

DISCIPLINED PEOPLE DISCIPLINED THOUGHT DISCIPLINED ACTION

CULTURE OF

DISCIPLINEHEDGEHOG CONCEPT

LEVEL 5 LEADERSHIP

1 ST WHO..

THEN WHAT

CONFRONT THE BRUTAL

FACTSTECH

ACCELATOR

FLYWHEEL

THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES WHEN WE CAN’T WAIT FOR SOMEBODY. NOW, YOU’RE EITHER ON THE BUS OR OFF THE BUS.

KEN KESEY.

FIRST STEP• EXPECTED WAS FIRST STEP

WOULD BE TO SET A NEW DIRECTION, A NEW VISION AND STRATEGY…..

• AND THEN GET PEOPLE COMMITTED AND ALIGNED BEHIND THAT NEW DIRECTION.

FINDINGS WERE OPPOSITE• THEY GOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON

THE BUS.• AND WRONG PEOPLE OFF THE

BUS.• RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT

SEAT.• AND THEN THEY FIGURED OUT

WHERE TO TAKE THE BUS.

GREAT VISION WITHOUT GREAT PEOPLE IS IRRELEVANT

• WITH RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS, PROBLEM OF HOW TO MANAGE AND MOTIVATE LARGELY GOES AWAY.

• THEY ARE SELF MOTIVATED BY INNER DRIVE TO PRODUCE RESULTS AND BE PART OF CREATING SOMETHING GREAT.

• WITH WRONG PEOPLE IF YOU GET THE RIGHT DIRECTION, STILL YOU WILL NEVER ACHIEVE GREATNESS.

WEAK GENERALS, STRONG LIEUTENANTS.

• WELLS FARGO VS BANK OF AMERICA.• W.F. RECRUITED OUTSTANDING PEOPLE

WHENEVER & WHEREVER THEY FOUND THEM, AND INJECTED ENDLESS STREAM OF TALENT IN VEINS OF COMPANY.

• B.O.A. PICKED UP STRONG LOWER LEVEL LEADERS AND WEAKER TOP BRASS WITH A VISION THAT IF YOU PICK STRONG GENERALS THEIR COMPETITORS WILL LEAVE.

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1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998WELLS FARGO GENERAL MARKET BANK OF AMERICA

GOOD PEOPLE DO GOOD THINGS

• W.F. : IF I AM NOT SMART ENOUGH TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING, THEY WILL. AND THEY WILL BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH IT.

• B.O.A. :THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS, NEITHER ANY COMMENTS. EVERY ONE WAITED TO SEE WHICH WAY WIND BLEW.

SHEER RIGIOUR IN DECISIONS• ASSEMBLING RIGHT TEAM IS NOT THE

MAIN POINT OF THIS CHAPTER.• MAIN POINT IS TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE

ON THE BUS, WRONG PEOPLE OFF THE BUS AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHERE TO DRIVE.

• SECONDLY, THE DEGREE OF SHEER RIGOUR NEEDED IN PEOPLE DECISIONS IN ORDER TO TAKE A COMPANY TO ANY HIGHTS.

NOT A “GENIUS WITH THOUSAND HELPERS”

LEVEL 5 + MANAGEMENT TEAM

LEVEL 5 LEADER

FIRST WHO

THEN WHAT

A “GENIUS WITH THOUSAND HELPERS”

LEVEL 4 LEADER

FIRST WHAT

THEN WHO

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION• NO SYSTEMATIC PATTERN WAS

FOUND THAT LINKED EXEC COMPENSATION TO TRANSITION.

• INFACT EXEC OF GREAT COMPANY RECEIVED SLIGHTLY LESS COMPENSATION AFTER 10 YEARS OF THEIR TRANSITION THAN THEIR COUNTER PART WHICH WERE STILL MEDIOCRE (COMPARISION COMPANIES).

COMPENSATION AND INCENTIVES

• ARE IMPORTANT. IMPLICATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.

• PURPOSE SHOULD NOT BE TO GET THE RIGHT BEHAVIOUR FROM WRONG PEOPLE.

• GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THE BUS. AND THEN PURPOSE OF COMPENSATION AND INCENTIVES MUST BE TO KEEP THEM.

WEALTH WITH VALUES AND FOR VALUES

• GREATER WEIGHT ON CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES THAN ON SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, PRACTICAL SKILLS, SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE OR WORK EXPERIENCE.

• NOT THAT THESE TRAITS ARE UNIMPORTANT. BUT THEY ARE TEACHABLE.(OR ATLEAST LEARNABLE).

• CHARACTER, WORK ETHICS, BASIC INTELLIGENCE, DEDICATION TO FULLFILLING COMMITMENTS AND VALUES ARE MORE INGRAINED.

• (MARINES, SF, PARA)

RIGOROUS, NOT RUTHLESS• THEY HAD RIGOROUS CULTURES, NOT

RUTHLESS CULTURES.• TO BE RIGOROUS MEANS CONSISTENTLY

APPLYING EXACTING STANDARS AT ALL TIMES AND AT ALL LEVELS, ESPECIALLY UPPER MANAGEMENT.

• THE ONLY WAY TO DELIVER TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACHIEVING IS TO NOT BURDEN THEM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ACHIEVING.

HOW TO BE RIGOROUS• PRACTICAL DISCIPLINE # 1:

WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T HIRE- KEEP LOOKING.

COROLLARY: • Company should limit its growth based on its ability

to attract good people.• Ultimate throttle on growth is not markets, or tech,

or competitions, or products.• It is ability to get and keep enough of right people.

HOW TO BE RIGOROUS• PRACTICAL DISCIPLINE # 2:

IF YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO MAKE A PEOPLE CHANGE, ACT.

COROLLARY: • First be sure someone is not on the wrong seat..• Putting square pegs in square holes and round

pegs in round holes..• Instead of firing honest and able person who is not

performing try to move them once or twice to other position where they might blossom.

HOW TO BE RIGOROUS• PRACTICAL DISCIPLINE # 3:

Put your best people in biggest opportunities, not your biggest

problems.COROLLARY:

• When you sell off your problems, don’t sell off your best people.

• You need executives who argue and debate-sometimes violently-in pursuit of best answers, yet on other hand, who unify fully behind a decision.

LEVEL 5 = GOOD SOLDIER ? YES OF COURSE. HE DOES NOT BLINDLY ACQUIESCE TO

AUTHORITY AND IS A STRONG TEAM MEMBER AND LEADER IN HIS OWN RIGHT, SO DRIVEN AND TALENTED THAT HE BUILDS HIS ARENA INTO ONE OF THE VERY BEST IN WORLD.

DESCRIPTION OF DESCRIPTION OF WORKWORK

OTHER THAN MARRIAGE, OTHER THAN MARRIAGE, IT WAS THE PASSIONATE IT WAS THE PASSIONATE LOVE AFFAIR OF MY LIFELOVE AFFAIR OF MY LIFE..

--A RETIRED EXECUTIVE A RETIRED EXECUTIVE EXPLAINED.EXPLAINED.

LOVE YOUR WORKLOVE YOUR WORK

Be dedicated, committed, faithful, Be dedicated, committed, faithful, diligent, rigorous, disciplined, diligent, rigorous, disciplined, dogged, determined, precise, dogged, determined, precise, fastidious, systematic, methodical, fastidious, systematic, methodical, workmanlike, demanding, workmanlike, demanding, consistent, focused, accountable consistent, focused, accountable and responsible.and responsible.

Both to your work and your wife.Both to your work and your wife. ENJOY YOUR LIFE AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE AND

FRUITS THAT FOLLOW.FRUITS THAT FOLLOW.