Five Essential Elements of Leadership [VIDEO]
Today we’re going to talk about the essential elements of leadership. If you’re an early careerist and you’re just beginning your life of leadership I want to share five things that are absolutely critical to ensure your success.
- You’ve got to be a good role mode and that means you have to have integrity. You have to talk about it and you have to live it everyday. And the higher you go in the organization the more important that becomes.Be compassionate and empathetic. Nobody wants to work for a jerk.Be accountable. You must hold yourself accountable as well as those around you. And you must be consistent.
- Be a good communicator. Now that doesn’t mean you have to be the voice of God or somebody who could be on the radio, but it does mean you have to be inspiring and you have to speak with conviction.One of the most successful CEOs in modern history was a guy named Jack Welch with GE Corporation. As a young man Jack had a big time stuttering problem, but he overcame that because he spoke with conviction and he was inspiring.
- Stay current. Have you heard the term lifelong education? Well, that’s really true. If you’re going to succeed in this highly digital, highly competitive environment you have to be a subject matter expert leader. You have to have a deep reservoir of what’s happened in the past, what’s occurring today, and what you anticipate will happen in the future.
- Embrace change. Long ago there was a county judge in Texas who said, “Gentlemen, the train is on the tracks. You’re either going to be on the train or you’re going to be on the tracks.” In times of tumultuous change, being on the train is a good place to be. You want to get out in front. You don’t want to dig your heels in and get run over.
- Listen to your customers. Respect them. If you think you know more than they do then I invite you to look at the Fortune 500 list in the 1960s and compare it to what it is today. There are only about 65 companies on both lists.
Those are my five elements of good leadership. I invite you to let me know what you think. Contact me a asktherecruiter@johngself.com.
5 Questions Rural Hospitals Should Ask Their Recruiter
One of the most common mistakes hospital boards make in hiring a recruiter is a preference, or impression, that the size of the firm counts. A big national firm, they reason, will have access to a broader array of candidates.
That is not true. Size has no bearing on access to candidates, especially the best candidates, because in those large firms, like larger corporations, the left hand is usually unaware of what the right hand is doing; they are siloed from office to office.
What really counts is the subject matter expertise of the firm and specifically the person who will be doing the work — not the partner selling the deal — the person who will be researching and screening the candidates.
Avoiding the pitfalls of being swept away by the sparkling glitter — thinking bigger must be better, or that a big national reputation will guarantee success — is critical to conducting a successful national search.
In the case of CEO searches, you want a search consultant who will tie his or her reputation to your organization’s future success. Most recruiters today reject that perspective, arguing that their job is simply to provide qualified candidates and they cannot and should not be held accountable for a candidate’s performance. For those firms and recruiters who want to remain trapped in the tired, old business model they will push back against any change. But new dramatic challenges in business require a fresh approach to executive recruiting, a new recruiting paradigm in which the client and the recruiter form a partnership and share the risks.
This new partnership is especially effective for boards which oversee rural/community hospitals that require special leaders to deal with the unique challenges that are emerging as the result of healthcare reform. A qualified candidate is not always the right qualified candidate, especially in the world of rural community hospitals. To be successful, a CEO must possess the right blend of knowledge and experience and have a leadership style that focuses on the mission, and the needs of the community they serve. They must be leaders who truly place patients/their physicians at the center of the enterprise and provide employees with the resources they need to excel.
Here are the key questions rural/community hospital boards should ask when deciding which search firm to hire:
- Does the firm work on a retained basis or are they a contingency fee agency?Contingency firms get paid only if they find the candidate the client hires. Typically their processes are not set up for in-depth vetting, nor do they spend much time understanding the client organization. In the world of contingency search, it is all about speed, submitting a candidate before they apply directly or are submitted by a competitor. A full-service retained firm works on an exclusive basis. They should spend at least two to three days on site with the client learning about the challenges and opportunities and gauging the organization’s culture. They typically, but not always, do a better job screening the candidates and vetting their prior performance which should be a mandate in any letter of engagement.
- Does the firm have experience in recruiting CEOs to rural/community hospitals? How much rural/community hospital (search) experience does the associate doing the work have? How many searches have they conducted where their candidate is still in place three years later? Have they ever worked as a CEO or manager in such a facility?This is critical. Smaller hospitals, especially those in rural areas, are very unique. The person who successfully recruits for a 500-bed academic medical center, or 300-bed community hospital, does not necessarily comprehend the nuances of running a smaller hospital. That lack of understanding can, and probably will, produce some negative consequences.
- How does the firm screen and vet the candidates — the tools they use and the step-by-step processes their recruiters follow to ensure the candidate selected is who he or she represents they are?This is where assumptions and misunderstandings can lead to embarrassing, if not disastrous consequences. Firms should screen candidates for relevant experience and a verifiable record of accomplishment. In other words, do their experiences and successes align with the needs of your organization? If there is discord among board members and/or the medical staff about the future direction of the organization you want to be sure that the CEO has experience successfully navigating those types of challenges and achieving outcomes that align with the organization’s objectives.Vetting does not always mean that the recruiter will check federal and state criminal, civil and CMS databases (fraud and abuse), or search the Internet for uncomplimentary articles concerning the candidates.
That lack of thorough candidate vetting recently resulted in a couple of highly publicized embarrassments for hospital boards — a CEO candidate who touted his financial management skills was pushed out of his last job because of a $30M accounting error, and a board in Montana was caught flat-footed when they learned the CEO they hired had prior felony convictions. Both of these blow ups were easily discoverable if only the recruiters had done basic homework.
- How will the Firm screen the candidates who will be recommended to the Board?Meeting the candidates in a face-to-face interview is the best method, bar none. Videoconference/Skype interviews are one-dimensional in perspective and you cannot always pickup the important non-verbal communication features. If the search firm, or the recruiter prefers the videoconference approach, dig in to find out why they feel that approach will suffice. The truth be told, it usually revolves around convenience for the firm or the recruiter, not because it will produce a better result.Do they use a DiSC© or some other behavior and values tool to assess a candidate’s match potential? DISC© or a similar assessment tool is now a common, standard of practice feature. By contrast, do not trust firms that rely almost exclusively on psychological testing in making their recommendations. This, too, is a one-dimensional approach that tends to emphasize the psychological profile over relevant experience and achievements.
- How long is your placement guarantee? Why do you use this term?Here is where the old-line traditional firms — those who are transactional in their style and approach — would just as soon you not ask this question or ask for an explanation. Those who extend their guarantee on a search by search basis just to be competitive probably do not have a candidate screening process that is robust enough to routinely offer three years. There are other firms that believe that a three-year placement guarantee should be a standard of practice.At JohnGSelf + Partners, we have offered that level of client protection for more than 18 years with only minimal risk because we designed our candidate screening process to ensure the interests of our clients are protected.
How To Make Your Resume Standout [VIDEO]
Hello everybody. I’m John Self and today I’m going to talk about your resume, your value and how to make yourself stand out from all the other job seekers.
As I travel across the country I have a chance to talk to a lot of people who ask about the resume. When I tell them that the resume is the first job interview, they start nodding their heads. And when I tell them how important it is for them to connect their value and success with the needs of the client, they nod their heads. And then, when they begin the job search, they jump back into what they’ve always done which makes them look like every other candidate. They’re like lemmings over a cliff.
Here are three things you can do:
- Understand it’s not about you. If you keep that in the back of your mind throughout the search you’ll be much more successful. Who’s it about? It’s about the needs of the client. It’s a competitive marketplace. They can afford to be picky about who they choose. So you have to stand out if you want the job.
- You shouldn’t send the same resume for every job you pursue because that makes you like everybody else. Why do you want to do that?
You’ve got start connecting your experience with the needs of the client. So how do you do that without tearing up your resume every time? Well, simple. You use the career summary and put it at that top of your resume. Get rid of that endless list of all your strengths and capabilities, all the programs you know how to operate, all the things you know how to do. Believe me, the client could care less whether you’re proficient with Excel and Outlook. They want to know can you address their needs and if you can, point it out in the summary. Why? Because the first time anybody looks at your resume in a job search it’s probably going to get 15-20 seconds of airtime. So hit it off right at the top of the page. Make your pitch. Make an impact. Make it count. And don’t be like everybody else.
If you have other questions, write me at asktherecruiter@johngself.com.
Does Size Matter? Not Always
The conventional wisdom is that for companies that do business in multiple states or countries size matters when it comes legal representation, banking, tax and audit. You want to hire an organization that has the physical reach to address your business needs.
There are cases, however, when subject matter expertise and experience trumps size, hence the success of many boutique firms that specialize in helping companies address specific challenges.
The real question is whether the size of the firm — one with global reach or the boutique specialist — guarantees you better service or better outcomes. There is, of course, no fixed answer.
But the best answer is, it always comes down to the person who is doing the work — their experience and their record of accomplishment in dealing with the issues at hand.
Companies — law firms, accountancies, consultants and search firms — like to parade their top talent in front of the prospective customer in order to close the deal. Unless the client is a critical customer or a whale (big fees), that may be the last time the customer sees the billboard talent, and they may never benefit, directly or indirectly, from that individual’s expertise.
Customers should ask these questions to ensure that the value in selecting a large firm, or the boutique specialist, is more than the fees.
- What role will the partner, or the star consultant selling the work, play in executing the deliverables? Who will be on the team and what is their expertise on the specific assignment at hand? (Degrees and credentials are important but you want to focus on their relevant accomplishments).
- Who will lead the team? What is their expertise and record of accomplishment in similar types of engagements?
- How often will you see the partner-in-charge for progress reports and follow-up?
- What is the methodology that will be used to produce the work? The recurring knock against big consulting firms is that the people with experience and accomplishment design project templates, and then send in junior, less experienced (lower costs) consultants to do the work. While the work of attorneys and auditors is usually different in approach and scope, it is still important to ask who will be doing the work, and their prior record of performance in the relevant area(s).
- Performance guarantees in the consulting industry are virtually non existent. In the executive search business, another form of consulting, the typical placement guarantee is one to 12 months. There are a few firms that offer a much longer guarantee. If a competitor matches the offer, it is reasonable to ask if this is a one off for this project or is it a routine part of their sales pitch. If it is an exception, you should spend more time looking at the process and ask specifically if the person who conducted the due diligence of the client prior to the start of the search is the same person who will be making decisions regarding which candidates to submit. Firms that consistently offer long-term guarantees do so because they have a robust process and rarely have to replace candidates.
The size of the firm you hire can make a difference but that is more an issue of the scope of your operations and geography. However, a large firm’s size does not guarantee the quality of the work product. That same principle can and should be applied to boutique firms, smaller does not necessarily mean a better quality of work product or result. It is the one doing the work, not selling the work, and how successful they have been in similar engagements, that should be the consideration, and, if they are willing to provide a value-added performance guarantee as a routine part of their deal, that probably means you will get what you pay for.
Stories Can Enhance Your Career Brand
He came late to the search. He had a nice background, respectable accomplishments and was persistent — he really wanted to be interviewed.
The only time I could meet him was 8 AM on a Saturday morning. I had a flight at 1 PM and he could take it or leave it. If this guy is really interested, I theorized, then he will accept. If not then I will have some much needed free time.
The candidate not only accepted, he made the cut. There were some other candidates who had a more impressive pedigree but he knocked the ball out of the park by relating relevant examples of performance and a few life stories that convinced me this guy was the real deal.
The ability to be prepared for an interview and to connect your value proposition with the needs of the client — something I have written about a lot of late — is so powerful. When a candidate does it, it is exciting.
Here are two stories I have heard in recent years that had an impact with clients
Give me an example of how your creativity improved the performance of the company.
The candidate told the story of a home infusion therapy company he ran. The corporate giants in the field had swept through town and captured a sizable share of the most profitable service lines. This agency was left fighting for the scraps on the infusion side with competing home health agencies. “We were a weak also-ran.”
As the General Manager he decided to change the model. He laid off his nurses, effectively getting out of the home care game. He rebranded the company as a wholesale pharmacy and marketed his services to the home care agencies who were his former competitors. Many became customers. Revenue increased from $134,000 annually to more than $750,000 in a year.
“I did not want this business to be irrelevant. That is not why they hired me. My dad always said that when you hit a wall and you think there is no way around, step back. Change the goal. Maybe the wall is irrelevant.”
This company formed strong sustainable relationships with home care agencies throughout the region because they focused on mutual success. The more they zeroed in on that approach, the more profitable the home infusion pharmacy became. “It was not that complicated, but you have to be willing to look at who you really are and where you should go, not where you thought you were going.”
Tell me about a time that a previous experience helped you succeed.
The candidate was a placekicker for his high school team. He was a bit of an oddity because he was one of the few, if not the only, players who did not use the soccer approach to kicking extra points or field goals. “I was taught as a straight-on kicker and that is all I knew when it came to field goals and extra points.” He shared time kicking with a teammate who used the more popular soccer approach.
He related that his father, a pastor who got him started kicking, and his subsequent coaches, all taught him that the secret to success was to stay focused regardless of how daunting the challenge or the cheering fans. Just focus on the task at hand — the football, and the goal posts.
“I was on a good team. We were undefeated over two seasons. We were playing in the championship game in terrible weather conditions. Torrential downpours and the fact that earlier in the day two other championship games had been played on the field made the conditions all but impossible” he explained. “We had pretty much dominated everyone we played all season but in this weather, we did not play our best game.”
With six seconds left, the game was tied. The coaches decided that a straight-on kicker would have more stability in the muddy conditions — less likely to slip when kicking — and so our candidate was sent into the game.
The noise level in the stadium was unbelievable, he said. The other team called a time out trying to get into his head. “I did what I had been taught to do — tune out the noise, ignore the other distractions, and focus on the ball and the goal posts.”
He kicked the winning field goal, from 31 yards out, and won the game.
Then he said, “But I didn’t win the game. The team won the game. Everyone had to do their job for me to do mine. That is what my dad and all my coaches always taught and I believed them. It is the way I approach leadership. You must be prepared, physically and mentally. You must stay focused and you must have confidence that you can do it, and that your colleagues will make it possible.”
These were not long answers. Both were succinct and both candidates tied them to the question asked.
They made an impression.
In more than 20 years of interviewing hundreds of candidates I have found that candidates will frequently make some off handed comment about an experience or an event in their lives that, if they had thought about it, could have strengthened their value proposition and made them a stronger candidate.
Think about your life and your experiences. I bet you can find more than one example that will enhance your career brand.