Harvard Business Review - 2012.06.pdf

DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC STUDY IS ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC STUDY IS ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC STUDY IS ILLEGAL.Stepping Up Early this spring,as Londoners began preparing in earnest for the Summer Olympics,I paid a visit to Paul Polman,Unilevers CEO,at his companys imposing neoclassical headquarters on Victoria Embankment.Polman has assigned himself an Olympian task.The soft-spoken Dutchman,who took over as CEO three years ago last January,has laid down an ambitious plan to double Unilevers revenue within a decade while cutting its environmen-tal impact in half.Its a big gamble,as Polman acknowledges in the HBR Interview(page 112).If he succeeds,he could become a model for CEOs who want to make sustain-ability a core part of their business.But if the company falters,Polmanwho has already provoked investors by trashing hedge funds and eliminating quarterly reportingis sure to face shareholders wrath.HBR also showcases another impassioned voice this monththat of the prominent Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck.Long regarded as one of the worlds most influential women,Krawcheck argues that big banks still have a big governance problem.Her solution:upgrade bank boards and equip them with simple but powerful tools to push management toward more-responsible behavior in handling risk.And were pleased to feature Michael Watkins,the author of the seminal leadership book The First 90 Days.Watkins writes this months cover story(page 64),on the skills and perspectives individuals need to move successfully from manager to leader.His article is an inspiring playbook for one of the thorniest challenges our readers face.Adi Ignatius,Editor in ChiefPhotograPhy:EliE honEinhbr.org14 harvard business reviewJune 2012From the E DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACADEMIC STUDY IS ILLEGAL.I knew Steve Jobs well for more than 30 years,and Isaacson misses how Steve led.The essence of Steves approach to leader-ship is contained in Apples two-word tagline,“Think Different.”Steve introduced me to meditation and Buddhism when I was 18 and he was 26.And what Steve meant by“Think Different”is the source of all wisdom in Eastern traditionsmindful-ness.Mindfulness means paying attention to your present-moment experience.“Think Different”means:“Drop all your theories and preconceived ideas.Pay attention to the raw reality coming in through your five senses and your mind.This is where you will find insight and wisdom.”Isaacsons view is merely that of an outside observer capturing the story of Steves life and its stressful,difficult circumstances.Steves real leadership lessons are yet to be written.Jonathan Rotenberg,president,Centriq AdvisorsJobs personified Machiavellis The Prince.To achieve results,he knew when not to be good.He also made sure that although many saw him,few were able to touch him.In the end his success will be the companys failure.No disrespect to Apples new CEO,Tim Cook,but I cannot see him creating that same intense loyalty.Lawrence Serewicz,principal information management officer,Durham County CouncilBy nearly any standard,Jobss results were exemplary.But is it fair to gauge Jobss leadershipor anyones leadershiponly by results?As our current economy shows us,equally important are the means to achieve the results.Isaacson is notably silent on a range of other leadership elements,such as serving others,integrity,and personal sac-rifice.Imagine how much more influential Jobs would have been if hed had a strong sense of empathy and humility.Jeffrey M.Ducklow,MBA student,Bethel UniversityI would have been honored as an employee to be clobbered by Steve over work I had done(or not).The man was the whole package and would have achieved less if he had behaved differently.Eric William Daly,director of business intelligence,Enertiatech IntegratorWhat is it about Jobs that affects people so deeply?People hang on to the idea of HBR article by Walter Isaacson,April 2012What are the characteris-tics and best practices of the late Apple CEO that every manager can try to emulate?Commenta-tors have fixated on the rough edges of Jobss personality,but biographer Walter Isaac son contends that“his personality was integral to his way of doing business.”In this article,Isaacson of-fers 14 lessons that will help leaders manage effectively and follow Jobss career mantra:“Stay Hungry.Stay Foolish.”The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve JobsJob Descriptions and the“Experience Needed”SyndromeHBR blog post by Tammy Johns,April 2012An overly exacting job posting can cost an employer the best candidates.You raise,between the lines,two major issues:First,do corporations lack confidence in the ability of individuals to adjust,learn,and develop into a job?Are companies covering this perceived risk to the point of absurdity?If a candidate really has all the required experience,why would she want to do the job again instead of developing further?Second,have corporations given up