If you’re planning a CEO career there are questions you should ask during the recruitment process and interview. In this video Prof Joseph Bower outlines ways of developing your leadership skills prior to a career as a CEO and the questions you should ask during an interview.
Joseph L. Bower is Professor of Business Administration, has been a leader in general management at Harvard Business School. An expert on corporate strategy, organization, and leadership, he has devoted much of his teaching and research to challenges confronting corporate leaders in today’s rapidly changing hyper-competitive conditions.
Here is the interview with Marshal Goldsmith entitled ‘Developing the CEO Within You’”.
Transcript of the interview below:
Paul: Hello Im Paul Michelman director of content for Harvard business digital and our guest today is Joseph Bower, Professor of Business administration at Harvard business school and author of “The CEO Within: Why Inside Outsiders Are The Key to Succession Planning”. Joes thanks for joining the prgroam.
Joseph: Paul, my Pleasure
Paul: Ok, our mission for today is to help aspiring leaders to prepare themselves to be strong CEO candidates in the future but before we dive into the specifics can you explain to us what an inside outsider is.
Joseph Bower: Sure, an inside outsider is a manager that has grown up inside the company. Developed there but somehow or other hasn’t drunk the cool aid. Has retained objectivity, has perspective on what’s happening in the world and can understand the need for change in the company.
Paul: Ok, Thanks. You know in your Harvard business review adaptation of your book how important it is for aspiring leaders to take responsibility for their own development from the very start of their careers. So to help guide that process you’ve developed a series of questions for individuals to ask themselves to make sure they are on the road to the corner office.
So lets begin with those questions you suggest leaders ask during the recruitment process. For instance an obvious starting question why are you being hired?
Joseph Bower: Right, you want to ask, you want to get a good understanding of why this company is hiring you. Obviously they want you to do some work in the short time but is this a company that hires people to develop and grow over time. Is there a career path, are there career paths. Or are you basically cannon folder to do the job this year and we’ll see what happens.
Paul: How do you get at the answer to that question? You should overtly ask the employer. Should you be asking other people?
Joseph Bower: Well there are a lot of other questions you can ask. How are they going to help you grow? What pattern of assignments are you going to get? Are you going to have time to learn. Is this a place where you will be running all the time and Do do do do do. What kind of support are they going to provide you. Are they people that are actually going to help you. There are companies that will talk about this. Others this will be the first time they heard of these questions. That’s revealing.
What kind of training do they provide? When your getting out of school last thing you want to think about is going back to school but the truth of the matter is continuing education is a great thing. Does the company support it?
Really important if your goal is to run a business how early can you run the business. Is this a company that’s organized so that there are lots of pieces of the business that are small and you can get a chance to try your wings or is this a place your going to be doing analysis all your life. The first is what your looking for. A place with lots of businesses to run.
Paul: So Joe, how specific an answer can you reasonably expect to that question.
Joseph Bower: Some companies would organise their pitch around those type of questions I have just asked. Some companies have really thought about that.
So the next phase now that your on the job you’ve developed another series of questions to help shepherd your development further. The first sounds like an obvious one. Do you meet your numbers? At the end of the day its great to talk about growth and development but you’ve got to perform. You cant get into the game without developing a reputation for meeting your commitments. So that’s very important. But there are other kinds of things. If you’re a person who is early recognized as someone who helps others. Do you develop other people. Is working with you a step up for them. Well that is a huge thing in your own reputation. How do you get on with your peers? Are you so competitive that they don’t trust you or are you someone that they really welcome. That’s a big deal.
How do you manage up? One of the most interesting things is we think about bosses are people who are going to help us. That usually means when your boss sees you coming they are going to say, oh here comes a problem. They are going to ask for something. Think about what a difference it makes if you can actually help your boss. So managing up is a big issue and how your going to help the organization. That also means learning about what it means to manage at higher levels of the organization. Finally I would say are you transparent. Or are you someone that gets a reputation for spinning what they do. Basically if your going to be a leader you probably want to get a reputation for being pretty straight.
Paul: Does that mean being brutally honest. Can’t you still tell a good story to talk up what your doing or what your team is doing.
Joseph Bower: Yes but what I think managers really respect is someone who will get right to the point and if there is a problem say that you’ve screwed. This didn’t work out. Here’s what we are going to do about it, not some tap-dance.
Paul: Ok, The next phase of the questions focus on developing yourself. One question I thought was particularly poignant is are you developing a network that expands outside of your own division.. Its really interesting that most managers when their developing focus on the people right around them and they literally don’t get outside of their own organization. The more you get out the better. Outside the division, outside the company.
Its interesting some people choose to get to know their customers. Get to know their vendors. You can even talk to union people, my God, and you might learn something. So those kinds of things. Do you know people in the community who aren’t in your business. May not even be in business. Their in other parts of society. Its interesting how much you can learn when you work for the community or when you work for the red cross or when you work for a local school or any of those things you meet other kinds of people and guess what that’s how you begin to develop a view of what’s going on in the world other then the received wisdom inside the company.
Paul: So these are all hedges against company think
Joseph Bower: right yes, its also a way of developing yourself. Those organisations outside, non profit organizations will usually give you responsibility earlier then you get it at your own company.
Paul: That’s interesting. Were not just talking about civic good, were not just talking about being in the community. We’re really talking about management development.
Joseph Bower: Yes developing yourself as someone who can contribute, who can lead.
Paul: Ok, final phase of the questions leaders should ask themselves. Focus on leading a balanced life
Joseph Bower: Well, I mean I have to tell you when I worked with middle managers. People running particularly significant pieces of the business one of the questions they always ask is how do I do all of this and take care of my family. You’ve got to take care of your family. Who are the people that are going to stick by you during difficult times. Who is your mirror who is going to tell you the truth. The higher you go the more you are going to hear what you want to hear, not what will really help you. It takes a lot of management of the calendar. One of my favourite friends starts the year by putting on the religious holidays, then the birthdays for the children and so on. Its surprising how much he can do even though he’s leading a whole different set of obligations.
Paul: Great advice, thank you very much for joining us today.
Joseph Bower: Your very welcome, thank you.
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