James Metcalfe
Many years ago as a young general manager, I worked for a division of a ‘Fortune 100’ company. At an informal get-together, one of my bosses (a Senior VP of Operations) recounted a short list of the principles that he utilized in managing his people. One of those principles stuck in my mind and became an important part of my personal leadership philosophy: “Results are more important than style.”
In a competitive economic environment, losing motivated, creative employees likely puts an organization onto a path that leads to mediocrity. So while it wasn’t always possible to utilize every new idea, I regularly encouraged the creative thinkers who worked for me. And I firmly believe that they often gave my unit a solid competitive edge!
Contributor: Timothy G. Wiedman, D.B.A.
