Evaluation of interview learning and component analysis

Perfecting the Art of the Interview

As I mentioned in first email, the topic for our discussion today is "position management." Just to be sure we are on the same page, let me define that for us. "Position management" is experienced by prominent leaders when they fall heir to traditions that create sanitized, protective environments in which they must carry out their work.

R.R. Working within the bounds of a semi-flexible bubble.

That's it exactly. Shall we start with the first question?

R.R. Green and go.

A leader's ability to get outside of that bubble that surrounds them is largely a function of his ability to balance the inherent tension between discretion and influence. You have to rely on other people and they are going to use discretion about what information they make available to you. How do you figure out what you should know? And how do you figure out whom you can trust?

R.R. It's reading copiously. It's knowing about people. And just paying attention. And listening to what it is that scares people, what it is that motivates them, inspires them, hurts them. And watch. Then as you see someone give evidence of certain traits, concerns, or aspirations, there are certain demonstrations of behaviors and attributes that lead one to the conclusion that they are open, aggressive, assertive -- in terms of learning -- and so you feel comfortable with them.

Q.2. When you find out about something -- after the fact -- that you weren't told, but you want to know, how do you respond?

R.R. If you have to scream or yell, you have lost. Doesn't mean that you can't get mad. Doesn't mean that you can't express anger. But, by and large, yelling is indicative of an emotional frame of mind that has overwhelmed or overcome the intellectual and as soon as that has occurred -- if it is for other than effect -- deliberate, intentional, premeditated effect, where you are doing it because that is the way you want to express control. But if you are yelling because you have truly lost control, then you are no good to yourself or anyone else. It is very unproductive -- it doesn't work. Or, you've shown a vulnerability that then simply provides an incentive to others to goad you into exactly that same response again. Which is again depriving you of the ability to demonstrate composure, which is crucial for someone who is ostensibly responsible for other people.

Q.3. Leaders have to have an undistorted feel for the variety and complexity of the uncertainties that emerge with lightening speed outside the leadership bubble. Specialists in information processing call this requisite variety. Requisite variety is messy. How do you deal with it?

R.R. It's messy and involved. And it's called contact. It's called getting out in the mud, the blood, and the beer. It's called getting involved in your neighborhood, your community. You go out and talk to an awful lot of people. And get involved in different things. And give a darn. Read newspapers. It's a case of being attentive. And being involved. Get out to do things. I understand how hard that can be, and how fortunate I've been. But it's almost always paying attention. It's always fascinating to me how often someone will meet someone -- and I'm included in that -- and not realize who they just talked to. And not understand the implications. Networking. But it has to be from the bottom-up, not from the top down. It's just time and effort. You've got to be interested.

Q.4. The greater the span of one's responsibilities, the larger the amount of information that must be synthesized, summarized, and accessible. This processing of information is accomplished by strata of staffers who are information management specialists -- not in the IT sense. How do you know who to trust?

R.R. What I do, first I try to hire people who have the ability to demonstrate good judgment and who have trust in me and in whom I have trust. When there's that relationship at the beginning, and it's developed over time, the people with whom you work -- ostensibly. Your employees, in this case, your peers, potentially -- if you have any control over their selection -- don't end up in a situation where they're denying you, whether our of malice or out of sincere regard for protecting you, or are providing you with limited, skewed, or inappropriate information.

Q.5. The ability to trust someone is a mighty important consideration for bringing them onto your team. Where do you place in the hierarchy of considerations the contribution, competence, and even the calculated dissonance a potential team member can bring?

R.R. Almost always the people I hire to be in management positions who have been directly associated with me or accountable to me are, in fact, brighter than I am, more knowledgeable, better. I have been proud of the fact that I have been willing to do that. That is a source of great pride for me that I feel comfortable with and have overcome the natural disinclination to associate with people who are smarter than me. I don't have a problem hiring someone who is, in fact, better read, more knowledgeable, better certified, and more capable -- even more highly respected than I am. That doesn't bother me if it gets the job done. I seek out people who are better qualified.

Analysis