A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Michael Andrew received his MBA from Suffolk University and his Certificate in Advanced Management Studies from Babson College.
A recognized thought leader who applies and offers practical insights for business professionals, he is the former head of the Leadership Institute with Rockwell Automation and regional head of Management and Leadership Development with Digital Equipment Corporation.
In the following interview on Fox news Mike discusses his book and the key chapters on thinking like a CEO and acting like a leader.
The following is a summary of the key points in the video and some of the chapters of his book:
Treat issues coldly, people warmly.
That’s the difference between leadership and boss-ship. Its dealing with the issue head on but doing it in a respectful manner. One example he gives is president Reagan and Tip O’Neill. Those two disagreed vehemently on so many issues but they did it in a very respectful way.
Enhance your know-how and know-who
In today’s knowledge era it’s very important to keep enhancing our know-how, but just as important as enhancing our know-how is our know-who and our know-who is our network of relationships. Its people that we know that we can call to get answers, to help us make a decision.
Have the wisdom of Columbo (to ask the ‘dumb’ question)
In business have the confidence and wisdom to ask what may appear to be a dumb question. An example that is given is of inspector Columbo.
Three reasons. Having the confidence and wisdom to ask questions means you are not missing out on important information necessary to your function as a leader.
Secondly it creates an example to others to ask questions that they may not otherwise have asked out of embarrassment gaining knowledge that may be necessary to their role in the organization.
Thirdly creativity is essential to becoming a leader or CEO. Often this means thinking outside the box and asking questions which may at first seem dumb or ridiculous.
Have the courage to be candid
If people are well and truly your biggest asset you’ve got to be honest with them and you’ve got to be candid with them. This also goes right back to treating the issue coldly and people warmly.
Stay one step ahead
That’s all about being pro-active. Staying one step ahead gives you an edge over others and makes it appear that your much more informed of the subject then others. Satchel Paige said “don’t look back, someone may be gaining on you”.
Show others how much you care
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Customers and clients are unlikely to forget if you show them that you care. This could involve little more then a phone call. This is where social and emotional intelligence plays a part.
Transcript of the video interview below:
Frank: Joining us this morning with a advice on how to be a successful leader and deliver results in 09 is Michael Andrew. He’s the author of how to think like a CEO and act like a leader, practical insights for performance and results. A big name but a great book, Michael welcome aboard, happy New Year.
Michael F. Andrew: Thank you frank, good to be here.
Frank: Tell us why did you write the book and give us a little bit about your background as well.
Michael F. Andrew: Well I started my career in finance and I got my MBA and post MBA degree. About 20 years ago I went into the leadership and executive development field and I had experiences working with senior leaders all over the world. Both inside large companies and within my own consulting practice. What was evolving and percolating was putting all my lessons learned and knowledge gained in a book. So I wanted to write a book that did two things. One that increased the readers comfort level with their business acumen, their sense of business. That was the how to think like a CEO part but also give the reader practical insights that we can all apply day to day to be consistently more effective.
Frank: Yes and you don’t have to be a CEO, these are kind of life’s lessons as well which is great.
Michael F. Andrew: Absolutely, actually the book is geared to anybody that works for a living
Frank: That’s all of us last time I checked.
Michael F. Andrew: Exactly!
Frank: Well lets jump in Michael. You have some great insights here. First separating issues and personnel. I’m too nice sometimes but you had a good point I thought.
Michael F. Andrew: Well that chapter is called “Treat Issues Coldly, People Warmly.” You know something Frank, we can do both. They are not mutually exclusive. That’s the difference between leadership and boss-ship. Its dealing with the issue head on but doing it in a respectful manner. One example I always think of is president Reagan and Tip O’Neill. Tip was from Massachusetts – speaker of the house – liberal. Reagan was our president – conservative. Those two disagreed quite often on so many issues, vehemently on so many issues but you know something they did it in a very respectful way. And they were great buddies at the end of the day, great role models.
Frank: Enhance your know-how and your know-who
Michael F. Andrew: Well, you know since the beginning of time man has always had to enhance and develop their know how, whether it be hunting, the cultural era or the industrial era. In today’s knowledge era it’s very important to keep enhancing our know-how, but just as important as enhancing our know-how is our know-who and our know-who is our network of relationships. Its people that we know that we can call to get answers, to help us make a decision. And when I look back at all of the leadership programs that I’ve ran for a lot of these major cooperation, the executives valued the new things that they learned, their know-how. Enabling them to look their business in new and different ways. But what they really valued was their know-who. The expansion of their relationships and networks inside the cooperation and outside the cooperation.
Frank: Absolutely, and I guess being a CEO you think your kind of on this peddlestill but its ok to ask a dumb question right.
Michael F. Andrew: You know I have a chapter there called “Have the Wisdom of Columbo”. Do you remember detective Colombo from that TV show. He would scratch his head, wear his wrinkled coat and ask all these dumb questions to the murderer and the murderer always thought he had the wool pulled over Colombo’s eyes because he was asking these dumb questions but every dumb question got Colombo closer to the core and proof of who the murderer was. Now in business it’s having the confidence, not only the wisdom but the confidence to ask the dumb question. How many times have you been in meetings when people might say, “You know Frank, that was a great question” when really it was a dumb question, or “you know something Frank, I wanted to ask that question”. Have the confidence to ask the dumb question.
Frank: What also creates a precedence so they won’t be afraid to ask another question somewhere down the road if its an important one or whatever the case may be.
Michael F. Andrew: Exactly, and I always say when I got my MBA the number one thing it did to me, it gave me confidence, a certain confidence to ask those dumb questions so it served me well.
Frank: I liked this one. “Just be candid and direct. Its ok if you’re a CEO you’ve got to tell people sometimes. You have to be harsh. You’ve got to be… I don’t like that. You have to change.
Michael F. Andrew: That’s a perfect way to state that frank. Its tough being candid but that’s why I think we call it work. Jack Welch wrote a book. A best selling book called winning. He had a chapter devoted to “The biggest dirty little secret in business is the lack of candour in business”. I think if people are well and truly your biggest asset you’ve got to be honest with them and you’ve got to be candid with them. By the way that goes right back to treating the issue coldly and people warmly.
Frank: Absolutely, and stay one step in front ahead of everything and show a little love I guess.
Michael F. Andrew: Stay one step ahead. That’s all about being pro-active and I know in the business that I’m in im on conference calls every day throughout the week and you can tell when people come prepared to these meetings and conference calls. I always say if you just spend 10 minutes getting prepared for the meeting you’ll probably be 10 minutes more prepared then the next person. It reminds me of Satchel Paige when he said “don’t look back, someone may be gaining on you”.
Showing a little love. The other part of your comment. There’s a saying, “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”. And I think of my father. He was a foot doctor. I assume technically he was a good one but what made him successful was that his patience enjoyed talking because he would talk to them invariably about any topic which was of interest to them.
Frank: Yes, I heard a story the other day. Someone called Mike Milbury. He used to be the general manager for the islanders. Someone said that he would call seasoned ticked holders, you know, a couple each week just to say thank you. You know if your on the other side of that phone call its like “thank you so much”.
Michael F. Andrew: Its an amazing thing isn’t it. That epitomizes “good job Mike Milbury”. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Frank: Well mike, all the best with the new book and have a happy new years as well. The book once again is called “How to think like a CEO and like a leader”. Mike Andrew thanks again.
Comments on this entry are closed.