April Pointe

Language and its ugly step cousin, communication, represent a true Catch 22. Never before have so many waxed on about the importance of these areas. Never before have so many come up short. Sorry, but we have to ask why?

The first reason is obvious. Effective use of language is not openly rewarded in the executive marketplace. It's one of those traits that everyone is supposed to have (insert the term "commodity") but so few do (insert "value.") The only time language and communication are rewarded usually comes at the ninth hour when someone wakes up to realize something has to be done.

The second reason is language and communication aren't taught effectively in schools. Colleges, b-schools, grammar schools, you name it. Few remain in command. When Strunk and White wrote their classics on style and grammar, not even these two masters could have predicted how email and the Internet would demote the value of language.

The next reason, and last one for Pointe purposes, is language and other matters of the executive brain have been largely outsourced to consultants, underpaid writers and other so called literary types called ghost writers, my personal favorite. Even political operatives such as Frank Luntz have emerged as experts. Too bad he couldn't have had more influence with the Bush administration. "Surge" ranks as one of the all-time worst word choices at a most inopportune time. On the other side, "war is lost" may be direct, but it's not what most would call a wise choice of terms.

Leaders, quit ignoring language at your peril. Read, write, listen and/or go to a seminar. Stop and think clearly before the next communication. Get outside help if you must. Your audiences may not clap loudly, but they will welcome continuous improvement.

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Hypocrisy Is Alive and Well

It’s fairly safe to conclude that Don Imus and Steve Heyer aren’t boyhood chums. Imus needs no introduction unless you’ve been under a rock for the past five days.

Steve Heyer is the outgoing CEO of Starwood Hotels. He was forced to resign recently after an anonymous letter was sent to the board accusing him of indiscriminate behavior with female employees.

Moving intros. aside, here’s why these two are worth examining in a leadership context.

Institutions dependent on the almighty dollar – in these cases, boards and advertisers – nearly always come off as hypocritical when controversy surfaces. The normal modus operandi is outrage first, action second. The action, however, nearly always exceeds the crime, particularly when the institution is caught red handed for having it both ways.

Don Imus generates $50 million in revenue for NBC and CBS radio. Yet one slip up, albeit major, now threatens to derail a 35-year career. Largely because, despite how it may seem on the surface, money comes first, principle second. Watching the firestorm erupt, you would have thought Don himself had burned a cross in Al Sharpton’s yard.

This is no defense of what Imus said. It was wrong. What makes it hypocritical is how advertisers are bailing out after benefiting for years off his routine, which featured far raunchier and incendiary comments than “nappy headed hos.”

Turning to another highly charged environment, corporate board rooms, the ouster of Steve Heyer confirmed what his track record had left before. Hard charging, acerbic, controversial and dismissing the status quo.

When an anonymous letter accusing him of misconduct surfaced, Heyer either decided to leave the company or was forced to resign, depending on how you want to read the situation. Perception ruled again with an iron fist. You’re guilty. And away he went.

Simple question: Why would the board hire someone who was essentially thrown out of his previous two jobs and then act surprised when controversy surfaced? Answer: Because when you’re fighting the “war for talent,” you’ll do anything to land a star performer who can generate higher returns, which Heyer did. Again, greed first, principle second.

Imus and Heyer are just part and parcel of this trend, which unfortunately is more of a continuous movie reel than it is an issue anyone is willing to address, much less accept.

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Dig deeper

Two crises, same common thread: Business leadership under attack.

In one corner of the ring punching and jabbing like life depends on it is David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airlines. You would be, too, if your business had completely broken down for the world to see on Lover's Day, or what some have quickly labeled the Valentine's Day Massacre. "We've been JetBlued" has now entered the traveler lexicon. But that's another story.

In the other corner, not really jabbing but taking wide swings is Ken Lewis, CEO, Bank of America, which has been singled out for peddling credit cards to illegal immigrants. The company would tell you otherwise. What made the program highly controversial were 24 percent APR interest rates on cards marketed in Los Angeles' Hispanic community. Whether the immigrants were legal or illegal misses the larger business point.

The easy conclusion to draw here is obvious: CEOs under attack for their company's performance and bad behavior. How each has handled their respective crises, however, bears further examination. So do exploring the sum of their experiences, the forgotten variable often overlooked when reporting about monolithic companies.

Neeleman is a devout Mormon with nine children. His first experience in business was observing his grandfather's convenience store, where if a product sold out, he would run down to the nearest supermarket and buy more of the item in demand. A self described sufferer of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Neeleman dropped out of a college to start a travel agency. He then founded an airline which was subsequently sold to Southwest Airlines whose CEO at the time was Herb Kelleher, an entrepreneurial legend in his own right. According to a previously published profile in Fortune magazine, Neeleman was fired after about five months on the job. By the time he started JetBlue in 1999, it's safe to say that he had experienced just about every up and down (no pun intended) an airline executive could experience.

Now juxtapose this personal history with Ken Lewis, the iron clad CEO of Bank of America, which has witnessed incredible growth under his watch. Lewis joined what was then NCNB in 1969 as a credit analyst and worked his way up to the top job through grit and determination over 30 years. No small feat in its own right.

Ok, interesting personal histories. But what's the point? We are framed by influences, events and experiences that create who we are. Leaders, however, are held to a higher standard. Hence the term, “leadership.” It's their responsibility to help others adapt and respond to change, which often rears its ugly side through crises.

Applying this rule to the Neeleman and Lewis examples, who do you think is more suited to lead?

The short answer is we won't know for awhile. JetBlue has to re-earn the trust and confidence of customers, which is no easy task with or without a "bill or rights." Bank of America seems to have weathered its storm despite not appearing to be forthright and visible on the controversial credit program.

Neeleman has chosen a star-driven public profile, appearing on the David Letterman show and in other countless formats to answer criticism. Other than an op-ed on the Wall Street Journal’s sympathetic editorial page, Lewis has remained relatively tight lipped like a good banker always is taught to be. Different strokes for different folks. Savvy public relations can only provide air cover for so long.

The harder answer to the leadership suitability question generally requires digging deeper beyond the surface, which regrettably, our attention spans do not allow. Whether Neeleman and Lewis meet some unknown threshold may make good news, but it doesn't produce any lasting lesson. A far more productive exercise would be if more business leaders could apply their core values, assuming they have some, to the issues at hand. Then we might get somewhere on the trust and confidence meter.

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In the News

Following is an excerpt from a recent USA Today piece that quotes yours truly. For the full article, please go to http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-02-02-comeback-ceos-usat_x.htm. Dell is more about namesakes reclaiming their brand than boomerang CEOs. But why quibble.
===========================================

Dell joins ranks of once-hot trend: Boomerang CEOs

By Del Jones, USA TODAY (All Rights Reserved)

Does Michael Dell signal a new era of the "comeback kid?"

When he was rehired late Wednesday, Dell became the first so-called boomerang CEO to be brought back to rescue a Fortune 500 company since 2005. Dell, 41 and founder of the PC maker (DELL), replaced Kevin Rollins, 54, who was Dell's hand-picked replacement two years ago.

Boomerangs used to be common. From 1999-2003 an average of 10 former CEOs were brought back each year at the largest 1,500 companies, so many that it prompted Ohio State assistant finance professor Rudi Fahlenbrach to co-author a study published last November called "The Market for Comeback CEOs."

But there were no boomerang CEOs at Fortune 500 companies in 2006 and just two in 2005 (at TJX Cos. and First Data (FDC)), says Leslie Gaines-Ross, chief reputation strategist at Weber Shandwick...

Michael Dell is a true comeback kid at one year younger than Steve Jobs when Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 to begin his iPod curtain call and oversee a stock rise approaching 2,000%. Jobs is also an atypical boomerang CEO because most leave again within three years, or just long enough to right the company and line up proper succession planning.

It won't be easy for Michael Dell to mimic Jobs, says Jeremy Garlington, who runs an executive leadership consultancy. Unlike Apple, Dell is in an industry "racing to the bottom of the commodity barrel. No one will bet against Michael Dell, but even he would have to admit that a turnaround could take a long time," Garlington says...

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Earth to Michael Dell and Phil Kent

Ok, one name is quite familiar and speaks for itself. Michael Dell will have his hands full trying to turn Dell Computer around. The Apple Steve Jobs analogy is apt but lacks one key detail: Jobs didn't make it all the way back the first time around. It was only later on a second better timed tour of duty that he got Apple back on track. Does anyone remember John Sculley?

Phil Kent is the CEO of Turner Broadcasting, which runs The Cartoon Network. Their promotional brilliance around a sketch called, "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," (no, we're not making this up) caused quite the terror shock yesterday in Boston. Some light boards featuring the characters were mistaken for bomb devices by local authorities. Springing into action, Kent and Turner issued a long winded statement apologizing for the screw-up, which was obviously bungled by a third-party marketing vendor that no one was managing properly. The vendor's employee mug on cable last night being led out of his residence said it all.

It's an odd situation to say the least, but anyone who recalls the H-P spying case from last year will remember how the same type of vendor arrangement was blamed at the outset. Different issue entirely with thankfully less harmful of an outcome. If Kent is with it, he'll go on "The Comedy Show" with Jon Stewart and the Boston airwaves and take his lumps. No way out of this one without some action, sincerity and self deprecating humor that toes the line. One last question: Did anyone think about picking up the phone and calling the Boston police chief to apologize and lend support? These "devices" were evidently in place for weeks, according to callers to a local radio call-in show. Amazing...

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The HD Roller Coaster

Get ready for a wild ride following last week's abrupt resignation of Bob Nardelli as Chairman and CEO of Home Depot. This one makes no real business sense so chalk it up to the powerful personalities involved. Hard to see how the "new guy" fits over the long term...

Following is an excerpt from last week's mainstream coverage (Atlanta Journal & Constitution, 1/4/07):

Management experts say Nardelli's driven personality overshadowed his accomplishments at Home Depot. Sales doubled under Nardelli, to more than $81.5 billion, and earnings per share rose more than 140 percent.

"At some point, he turned himself into the story, and there's an old rule in crisis situations: You don't let yourself become the story," said Jeremy Garlington, an Atlanta-based executive coach and managing partner of Point of View LLC. "Under Nardelli, Home Depot had record profits and record revenues, but the stock price was stagnant. It doesn't make sense from a business standpoint ... but business often comes down to personalities and relationships, not figures."

Two Quintessential Americans, One Common Theme

The Godfather of Soul and the Accidental President may not have had much in common, but both will be remembered for their unique contribution to pop culture and leadership. Can you say the same?

Legacies have a way of separating the truly thoughtful leader from the not so thoughtful. Lasting, living and otherwise. How we're remembered is always impacted by what we're doing in the present -- even when the outcome is not entirely clear.

Here's an excerpt from Gerald Ford's strongest political foe turned world ambassador, former President Jimmy Carter: "An outstanding statesman, he wisely chose the path of healing during a deeply divisive time in our nation's history...One of the most admirable public servants and human beings I've ever known."

That may be an understatement. Ford will be most recalled not for falling down the stairs, which he did, but for pardoning Richard Nixon, which closed the final chapter of Watergate or so it seemed at the time.

During the same era, James Brown, who died on Christmas Day, was lighting it up as a soul and funk singer. His greatest legacy may best be summarized through the song lyric, "I Feel Good." Or Get up...Get on Up."

Get on Up, indeed. Leaders everywhere should heed this call and determine what they want their legacy to be -- preferably before it's handed to them.

'Tis the Season

'Tis the season to evaluate and plan. Here are 10 tomes to help advance the process:
1. Clutter. Get rid of it. Any and all extraneous material or paper. Chances are there's another copy somewhere anyway.
2. Eliminate cliches once and for all. "Talent management" seems to have pushed aside "leadership development" to no avail. "War for talent" should be erased for eternity. But that's another story.
3. Coaching vs. advising. It seems as though everyone is a coach these days. Sigh. How many can honestly say that they consistently provide selfless advice and service? Tough question with no perfect answers.
4. Don't discount 2007 as an off election year. It's make or break time on a host of matters, most of which centers around a War that no one wants to acknowledge but wants to go away.
5. Change or Else. It's our adopted theme for the coming year so please hold us to the fire. Right now it's somewhere between a seminar/speaking topic and new partnerships and affiliations. Stay tuned for more in the coming year.
6. Dancing with the Transformation Stars. We're desperately in search of figures, executives, etc. who have demonstrated successful transformation from one profession or station to another entirely new field or endeavor. Key criteria: They lived to tell about it.
7. True success. Hint: Try defining success on your own terms and see what you come up with. Answers may startle you.
8. Embrace fears or insecurities instead of running from them. Easier said than done but critical. Far too few practice this one.
9. Laugh, think and cry. The late great Jimmy Valvano (former basketball coach for N.C. State University for you non-sports types) had it right with his daily motto: Laugh, think and cry and your day will be complete. Tissues, anyone?
10. Finally, instead of worn out resolutions, try this exercise: Where are you going to create the most value next year? For whom and with whom?

Attention: Executives in Transition

If you're someone going through career or job change (hint: all of us at any given time), following are some not so subtle tips on how to manage transition:

1.) Clarity is leadership. Be absolutely clear with your intentions even if you don't know what they are. Taking time off? Fine, do so with a stated purpose and specific time frame. Periods of transition are the last time to be unclear about what you're trying to accomplish.
2.) Lose the money obsession. Now, this isn't to say leave money on the table, or in BellSouth's case, forgo a lucrative severance package for an unproven opportunity. That's not the point. De-emphasize money on your list of considerations. Most motivation driven solely by money ends up wreaking havoc later.
3.) Help and serve others. The natural tendency during uncertainty is to focus on Self at all costs. But this is bone-headed for multiple reasons. Help others, and new paths will unwind. Don't become over-isolated or consumed with reflection.
4.) Passion and purpose. Passion and purpose are two of the most widely cited yet misunderstood variables of job and career change. Yes, you need to get excited about what you do everyday. But that doesn't mean passion is a cure all. "Life's purpose" also is a career myth. What we're doing today is purpose for all intents and purposes (no pun intended.)
5.) Career? What career? Consult any successful figure. Chances are they'll tell you while they may have had a career in the conventional sense, it never seemed that way because they were pursuing something much more meaningful.

These tips are brought to you by Jeremy Garlington, managing partner of Point of View, LLC. For more information, please visit www.pointofviewllc.com or reach him directly at 404-606-0637. Thanks for reading. Good luck managing your transition.

Hot Air

So it's August, the doggiest days of summer. Many have either been on vacation or are headed that way. Here's an advisory: Beware of hot air, the leadership kind. At last check, there was a lot of talking going on without much action.

First, however, we have to recognize the grand exceptor, Warren Buffett, for his gift to the Gates Foundation. It is absolutely without compare. Buffett's stamp of leadership was taking the action without much fanfare, while at the same time, demonstrating wit, self awareness and humor.

The lesser mortal CEO crowd unfortunately can't say the same. Whether it's back dating or springing forward options, executive pay hangs around their neck like an albatross. But instead of thinking through various dimensions, some fire back with inane comments such as these: "We have an enterprise that stands tall among corporations here in America...The last thing you want to do is withdraw into a fetal position on some of this stuff."

Fair enough. But leaders don't spit out defensive speak. They calibrate and act according to their audiences' will, which is fed up with single dimensionality. If you don't mean what you say or aren't willing to accept views from a multitude of voices, then shut thy mouth. We won't even go there with politicians. To borrow some Yoda speak, political leadership in an election year, you will not find. Leadership may be a journey. But it's not an bottomless pit where words replace action. Never has, never will.

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Upcoming seminar

Here's an upcoming audio seminar that some may want to tune into:

Brand 101: What Every Executive Recruiter Should Know
A 90-Minute Audio Conference Featuring Jeremy Garlington,
Managing Partner, Point of View LLC
Friday, August 18, 2006 – 1 P.M. EST
Register

Are you a brand? The harsh truth is most individual recruiters are not brands, according to the term's conventional meaning. Branding, or the act of creating brand, has shoved aside the process' true value, which is defining and keeping a unique promise in clients' hearts and minds.

Join Kennedy Information and presenter Jeremy Garlington for this seminar and explore how brand building can be properly integrated within standard business and search practices.

Designed specifically for individual leaders, content will address the intersections between personal leadership and organizational brand.

Knowledge and insights you'll take back to your organization:
*Brand vs. branding – what the terms really mean
*What we can learn from industry leaders
*How to create differentiation, with yourself, practice and firm
*Proven techniques and tips for establishing and communicating a brand promise
*The dos and don'ts of effective brand building

Experienced search consultants, or those aspiring to reach new heights, will discover new ways of thinking – both about themselves and their firms.

Jeremy Garlington – Managing Partner, Point of View LLC

Jeremy Garlington is an executive coach and branding consultant who specializes in working with retained executive recruiters and search firms. He currently serves as managing partner of Point of View, LLC, an executive leadership consultancy in Atlanta.

Know (and Be) Yourself

When the hit TV show, “American Idol” crowned its 2006 winner last night, millions of viewers suddenly embraced a somewhat awkward contestant named Taylor Hicks. The premature gray haired 30-something from Birmingham, Ala., had not only survived the competition, but he had won after 63 million votes being cast.

What few have been willing to admit, however, is how Hicks represented something alien from the image that the hit show had created through its five-year run.

Here was a relative country boy, older than most contestants brandishing about, letting out rebel yells and one line chants called, “The Soul Patrol.” Judges liked him, although Simon Cowell looked incredulous at times about Hicks’ ability to advance. Late night comedians had a field day when it looked as though Hicks was going to make the final round.

But what made this unlikely winner stand out from the competition? Hicks did nothing more than be himself. He sang songs that he knew, felt comfortable doing and when he stumbled, he simply admitted to it and kept on going. Hicks’ self deprecating style soon endeared him to fans everywhere, and his following ultimately made the difference in winning the contest.

What do figures such as Taylor Hicks and visible business leaders have in common? Well, for starters, scrutiny. Hicks withstood weeks of heady competition and fishbowl review on national television. Viewers watched for any potential strength or flaw that could affect his standing. Questions such as, “can this guy really be the next American Idol?” passed through more than one conversation, blog or other shared communication.

In the end, Hicks and his Soul Patrol emerged victorious, while the rest of us remained mere mortals.

The familiar saying that first you have to know yourself to be a winning leader has never been truer. But there’s a subtle shift going on. Know yourself is only half the battle. The other more critical half is be yourself. At all times and especially when others are watching.

Rants and Raves

Rant number one goes to dishonesty in the immigration debate, an issue that affects everyone so much that no one can adequately address, much less do anything about. Terms such as “amnesty” and “illegal alien” have been spun out of control. Business leaders would be wise to step up with a stronger voice. But they’re in the back seat. Perhaps it’s a La Katrina giving hangover?

Rant number two goes to executive pay. This issue registers off the charts on opinion surveys, yet no one has a credible viewpoint on what can be done. Vanguard founder J. Bogel comes close, but isn't he a big money man? Someone from within the governance complex, preferably not a shareholder shill, needs to shed light on how to find more balance between pay for performance and pay for failure. It's difficult to see how self governing boards can address the issue adequately on their own.

Now the good stuff. Here are several raves that exemplify effective leadership:

Warren Buffett for stepping off the Coke board while proposing that director pay be strictly based on the company's performance. Odd nod since members are already multi-millionaires. But solid move nonetheless. We will hold off on questions about his purchase of Russell Athletic...

CNN's Lou Dobbs. Like or loathe him, Dobbs has unmasked hypocrisy in the immigration debate. Steam comes out of his ears some nights. Off-the-charts point of view...

Jamie Dimon, J.P. Morgan Chase. Wall Street dudes haven’t made many most admired lists in recent years, but this guy looks and sounds real. Anyone who could put his dukes up in a cover shot for Fortune magazine (April 3, p. 54) gets a rave on hubris alone...

Charles Brewer, original Mindspring founder now chairman of Green Street Properties and leader of New Urbanism. Leadership, transformation, values-driven. Need we say more?

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Who are YOU?!?

In deference to the legendary rock band with similar lyrics, the question isn’t, WHO are You? It’s more about that dreaded first impression remark from someone who doesn’t know you: Who are YOU?!?

Personal and professional journeys are pre-occupied with trying to instill a sense of who we are, both within ourselves and others. We all want the same thing: To be recognized, known and/or recalled for what we want others to know us by.

But there’s a catch. We never fully get to answer Who are You? The audience does.

Comedian/actor Albert Brooks, not to be confused with Mel Brooks, says that even after 25+ years of performing comedy, he doesn’t know what makes people laugh other than the unexpected. Brooks’ newest work, “Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World,” cuts through the seriousness of global politics with biting humor to connect with everyday hearts and minds in India.

Howard Stern, the new king of satellite radio, personifies the saying, “true geniuses are misunderstood.” After his latest deal with Sirius, it may need to read ‘performing geniuses are misunderstood all the way to the bank.’ Say what you want about Stern, FCC standards and the chimp- like state of radio. Fact remains that he has created one of the largest, most loyal followings ever achieved by a single individual in any field.

Even the Godfather movie series has its own special stamp called The Code of Silence. Good or evil, pale or bloody, you knew where the family stood at all times. There wasn’t anything morally upright about what transpired, yet clarity was always achieved.

Corporate and business leaders cling to the notion that influence is determined strictly by pulling their own chosen control levers. But that’s simply not true, and it may never have been. Throw in a crisis and this axiom moves even further away from reality.

Similar to performing artists, business leaders are only as good as their audience. If no one believes what you’re saying, nothing of lasting value will be created. It’s true in Hollywood, and it’s true in business despite heavy denial to the contrary.

Know your audience on multiple levels: professionally, personally and otherwise. Identify their needs and offer valid, valuable insights. Dare to break through the conventional norms. Speak and act clearly and candidly.

When it’s all said and done, being at one with yourself and audience may be the only leadership attribute worth trying to fulfill.

Extra! Extra!

Sorry, no pithy content here. Just shameless self promotion.

If you haven't already visited the new Point of View, LLC web site, please click here www.pointofviewllc.com. Bookmark and visit often. Send the link to a friend, preferably one that's an aspiring leader with career and/or business issues.

Look for more targeted content that you can use in the weeks, months ahead.

Thanks for checking in,

JG

Diamonds in the Rough

Pick up any business publication, and you'll be treated to corporate leaders doing great (or bad) works. Some come out better than others. The business press loves to fawn over whoever is in vogue or next in line.

But what about the emerging class, or digging deeper, next generation leaders? Sorry Fortune, execs. right next to power don't constitute 'emerging' in the modern sense.

Chances are the next gen. group will never adorn cover stories or recruiters' short lists. Yet if change in the Over-Abundance Age is real, which it is, then isn't it time for this class to be heard?

There's only one slight problem. Very few inside the complex -- boards, advisors or the existing rulers themselves -- have enough courage to act collectively on what's right under their noses. And why should they? Executive salaries and bonuses are granted no matter what. No reward, financial or otherwise, is large enough to justify the risk of doing something new. Therein lies the rub. Without any change or incentive to try a different path -- or vice versa, penalty for not doing so -- everyone can expect the same old outcome.

Those trying to lead within a industry with over-abundant product -- cars, money, books/magazines, lumber, soda water, labor, etc. -- would be wise to consider more diverse sources of leadership. These diamonds in the rough could be the key to unlocking whatever value remains.

New Year's Blah-blah

Anyone had enough of New Year's resolutions yet?

Here's one that every executive-level leader should observe: Throw everything out (within reason) and start over.

Another calendar year means an entirely new set of possibilities, challenges and successes/failures.

The job or task at hand may remain the same, but chances are the external and internal environments have changed considerably.

Old thinking about old ideas will not propel growth or advancement. Until previous suppositions are challenged from every angle, nothing new and energizing is likely to emerge.

That goes for organizations and individuals.

Trends and Truths

Executive leadership implications abound within the following post. Since readers are accomplished, intelligent minds, we’ll let you decide how each “trend and truth” applies to your situation.

Mammon vs. Chicken Little -- “Stay alive until ’05,” a phrase coined during the last recession, will give way to “Let’s get rich in ’06.” Judging from what we’ve seen over the past two quarters, this attitude is beginning to prevail. The only deterrent may be Chicken Little types who remain convinced that the economic sky is falling despite evidence to the contrary. Incredibly, some polls indicate that 43 percent of the general public thinks the economy is in recession, up from 36 percent last year during the presidential campaign. Here’s a clear message: Step up, business leaders and show confidence. Simply rolling over in your own selfish interest is no longer an option.

Stay ahead of the money -- Unprecedented amounts of capital, mainly cash from corporate income sheets and private investors, will continue to be deployed at dizzying rates across new markets that few even thought existed. Look for relatively unknown enterprises to step out and make even more impact in the coming year. Those who stay ahead of versus following the money will enjoy competitive advantage.

Here today, gone tomorrow -- The adage, “go where the business is” will become even more predominant. Stable and long-term business sources will continue to give way to reinvention. Volatility and rapid change aren’t going away anytime soon.

The Corner Office myth -- In a recent profile titled, “The Corner Office,” The New York Times reported at length about how major corporate leaders are no longer solely products of elite universities and institutions. Valid point, flawed premise. If you run across a CEO who hides in a corner office, then please report him or her to the nearest governance authority. Chances are they’re not real and may be missing the biggest point of all: The position isn’t about entirely about THEM. It’s about unlocking the potential of others to achieve great things. Same goes for those who purportedly serve them despite evidence to the contrary. The ones that continue to believe in the Corner Office are the same individuals who cling to the notion that there’s a “seat at the table” waiting for them one day.

One last point: For those who continue to lack courage with adopting point of view on issues beyond what’s directly in front of them, please take a moment to expand your universe. Your constituencies have had enough with platitudes, slang, clichés, B-school babble and other self serving nonsense that tells them nothing beyond what they already know or hear from other sources. Heed the call. Leave the comfort zone. It’s time to lead in a personally genuine and authentic manner.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Leaders & Laggards

"Leaders & Laggards” is a periodic series that examines the best and worst of business leadership.

Leaders:

Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google. The newly public company wants to offer more access to published works using its famous Internet search technology. Schmidt publicly defended the company’s motives in a Wall Street Journal Op-ed (“Books of Revelation,” October 18), and after reading his piece and others, it’s hard not to give a big leadership nod. This stand isn’t without controversy. But at least it’s a stand. That’s more than what can be said for a majority of businesses.

Sheldon Adelson, Las Vegas investor and developer. Adelson is an entrepreneur for the ages. Here’s an excerpt from a recent Fortune (“The Man with the Golden Gut,” October 17) profile: “Businesses are like buses. You stand on a corner and you don’t like where that one is going? Wait…take another. There’s no end to buses or businesses.” It’s too bad more can’t heed this call. There’s immense insight into this simple rule.

Lee Scott, CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Ok, so the big box retailer hasn’t won many fans or friends alike in the corporate reputation category. No argument there. But what a difference a few months make. Between Katrina hurricane response and Scott’s latest request to boost the minimum wage, it looks as though the point-of-view gods have finally found where America shops. Next test: Standing up to the obesity crowd over hiring practices.

Laggards:

Joe Galli, outgoing CEO, Newell Rubbermaid. For anyone that had to suffer through one of his presentations or direct interactions, it’s no surprise that Galli is the latest CEO casualty. His track record boils down to this key fact: 10 quarters of sales declines despite some of the world’s greatest brands, including Sharpie. How do you manage that? Where was the board?

Phillip R. Bennett, former chairman and CEO, Refco. This individual, with help from his own funny loans and greedy investors, managed to lead the commodity trading giant right into bankruptcy. Our only question: Wasn’t there a good reason why we had never heard of Bennett outside Wall Street? Here’s hoping we won’t hear anymore soon. Refco sounds too much like the former Revco, which now operates as CVS.

Brand Atlanta. Since we don’t know whom to single out, the entire status quo complex will have to do. Branding may give rise to brand in some cases, but in the end, logos, jingles and ads don’t replace a unique promise or commitment. And while it pains us to say, the three O-rings – Opportunity, Optimism and Openness– don’t deliver anything concrete. As to the pre-game performance on Monday Night Football that no one outside Atlanta saw, well… Here’s a suggested slogan: “Atlanta, the City Too Busy to Change.”

The Pointe is produced by Point of View, LLC, an executive leadership brand consultancy based in Atlanta. For related background, please contact Jeremy Garlington, 404-606-0637, garlingtons@msn.com or visit http://www.povblogger.blogspot.com/.

Leadership and Pornography

The head of executive coaching at a renowned leadership development center recently conveyed: “Leadership is a lot like pornography -- you just know it when you see it.” Ok, 10 points for honesty.

However, this experience and other recent ones have shed light on an unfortunate truth: Leadership is often left to subjective opinion of those who don’t have a solid grasp of the term – sometimes through no fault of their own. There is no governing body or institution that grants leadership status, nor is there any widely held standard. Particularly not in corporate or business circles.

Some may say, “hey, wait a second, doesn’t that represent an opportunity for coaches and consultants touting themselves as leadership experts (present company included?)”

Well, yes and no. Yes, ambiguity always represents opportunity. But no, that doesn’t mean the same opportunity always affords unique status.

We prefer to think of leadership as “unlocking the potential success of others and helping others realize their own success no matter what shape or form.”

Apply this definition to the recently benched head of FEMA emergency operations in Louisiana, and you’ll see quite clearly that Michael Brown didn’t put anyone in position to succeed, much less answer the immediate call either visibly or forcefully. If this is too political for your taste, then consider self-acclaimed corporate leaders active within your sector. What do you look for that defines leadership? If it’s not something that resembles the previous definition, then chances are it’s not leadership.

Considering what we’re currently living through at home and abroad, we may want to expand the definition of leadership to include “instilling a certainty of hope” that success can be achieved despite what may seem like insurmountable odds.

So if you want to be a leader, help others succeed with tangible deeds, not just words or clichés. And while you do, give candid advice and direction, which if the context allows, provides a certainty of hope. The results may surprise you.