SL leaders should build orgs. that their children and grandchildren would be proud of, says HR guru Dave Ulrich
‘True’ business leaders in Sri Lanka should hire people who are smarter than themselves and build organisations (with values and a caring workplace culture) that their children and grandchildren would be proud of, according to one of the world’s foremost thinkers.
Dave Ulrich, Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and considered a world renowned human resource (HR) guru, spoke at length to a group of CEOs during a visit to Colombo last week but his underlying message were these two points.
He spoke at a CEO forum on the theme “Building Competitive Organisations: The next venue for sustained success” held at the Kingsbury Colombo and hosted by the hSenid Group in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Management.
Prof. Ulrich has visited Sri Lanka many times on speaking tours but the audience may have been amazed to learn that he makes at least 250 trips in the US alone annually, flying on Delta Airlines.
The session opened on an unusual but pleasant note with the Old Joes Choir coming on stage to sing a song meant to galvanise and wake up any CEO, tired after a long day in the office. “I wish I could sing like the Old Joes, unfortunately I don’t have that talent,” laughed Prof. Ulrich, when he came on stage, and then explained that companies are built on hiring the best talent available.
“Leadership is a little like parenting – parents want their children to be better than them. Get smart people – build the skills, so that the next generation is better than you: Leaders here have a sacred, sacred stewardship – not just to your organisation but to your grandchildren. Are you building organisations that your children and grandchildren will value with great honour and great respect? These should not be just beautiful houses but buildings (organizations) filled with a sense of passion, purpose and vitality,” he said.
Excerpts of his presentation:
I agree that CEOs have a difficult time running their companies. Having said that, Sri Lanka is an incredible country and for those who live here, you don’t often know what you have (advantages and positives to build strong organisations). For those who come and leave and come back (foreign visitors) like me, we see enormous potential.
There is a foundation of vitality, energy, incredible beauty here and the challenge is to transform that beauty to create spirit, energy.
Some of the issues you face are – what does it take to be competitive? What should I do as a CEO to make my company competitive? The answer is simple: Do something unique, something your competitor cannot copy and something your customer values.
When Xerox created the copier it stirred the market but on the flip side it took two days to learn how to use it. Nobody wanted to, and the product didn’t succeed.
Ask yourselves: Does my strategies match my systems; do I have the right organisation – the people, the culture?
Again ask yourselves: Am I smart or smarter than my boss? Leaders who are successful bring in talented people whose skills are better. A good leader surrounds himself with people who are smarter than him; not weaker.
Competitive advantage comes not only from money, product, technology but the culture in the organisation.
While the CEO must be responsible for talent, leadership and the culture of an organisation, it’s the human resource team that must provide the insights to building a strong organisation and workplace culture.
Human resource is the architect of the culture of an organisation just like the architect building a beautiful home filled with spirit and energy.
Human resource should be given the space to create a ‘home-away-away-from-home’ kind of organisation that would create ‘warmth’ in abundance’.
When we talk about a company’s culture, we often think of values, norms, beliefs. Culture however is not only these issues. It should also consider how the office is organised; are people talking and communicating with each other, etc.”