What drives successful leaders

What drives successful leaders

When you look at the most successful people in franchising – and we’re making an assumption that the most successful people are often CEOs of large, successful companies – there are certain common characteristics that begin to paint a portrait.

And that portrait is handy to have whether you’re looking at succession planning for your company, or you’re starting out in business and want to learn the behaviors to emulate.

Here’s that portrait, based on answers to the Birkman Method test, a comprehensive list of questions that looks at both your behaviors and values and what you consider the behaviors and values “most people” share.

By Peter Capodice

What natural behavioral competencies do the franchise industries most successful leaders possess and exhibit? What drives them? How does their behavior alter under stress? How do they view society/relationships? What are they passionate about?

What better way to find out than to utilize a method that crosses domestic and international boundaries? The Birkman Method has been used for 50 years and gives a graphic four-dimensional portrait of the organization; individuals and team members, their interests and goals, operating styles, underlying needs and behavior under stress- all factors that govern personal and organizational productivity. It is used by the United Nations, Wal-mart, Exxon Chemical, John Hopkins Hospital, Stanford University, Sony Pictures, Yorkshire Restaurant Group and thousands of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations around the world.

Approximately 30 of the 50 selected leaders with proven track records were kind enough to participate in this groundbreaking study. Some of the participants include: Jim Amos, Mail Boxes Etc, IFA Chairman; Fred DeLuca, Subway: Sid Feltenstein, Yorkshire Restaurant Group; Peter Gaughn, BCT; Steve Lowrey, Franchise Concepts; Chris Sullivan, Outback Steakhouse; Lloyd Swiggum, Steamatic; Robert & Jeff Yarmuth, Sonny’s BBQ.

As general statements about this successful leadership group, we can make the following general statements:

♣ They are passionate about directing and motivating people and like to build agreement between people and persuade, counsel or teach.
♣ They are direct but friendly, energetic and objective, methodical, consistent and concentrative.
♣ They are most comfortable when people around them are: democratic rather than assertive, tell the rules and encourage trust and fairness, objective and rational in their approach, given clear cut decisions to make, friendly but direct when they talk to them.
♣ Under stress they might become resistive to change, over controlling and rigid, abrupt and impatient, protective and routine minded, busy for sake of it.

Relating to people one on one:
(This is true 100 percent of participants’ observable behavior and is extremely important when dealing with performance management)

♣ Candid and matter-of fact.
♣ They give priority to work.
♣ Outspoken & unevasive.
♣ Direct & straightforward.

Relating to people in groups:
(This is true of greater than 96 percent of observable behavior and may be observed at times by the remaining 4 percent. No participant scored low in this area.)

♣ Socially comfortable around most people
♣ Communicative in groups
♣ Enjoy group debate, but wants to win
♣ Enthusiastic about working with a team

Team Orientation versus individual orientation:
(This would be true of 100 percent of the groups’ observable behavior)

♣ Trustful & team spirited
♣ Emphasizes intangible values
♣ Aware of long-term benefits
♣ Cooperative & well-intentioned.

Preferred pace of action:
(High scores reflect results-driven behavior. 100 percent of the group scored very high in this area.)

♣ Direct, forceful, enthusiastic
♣ Vigorous and persuasive
♣ Works to capacity
♣ Acts and responds immediately

Objectivity vs. subjectivity:
(This would be true of 100 percent of the group)

♣ Emphasizes action over thought
♣ Objective and detached
♣ Competitive
♣ Focuses on practical results
♣ Focuses on solutions.

Personal independence:
(100 percent of the group scored moderate to high in this area)

♣ Individualistic
♣ Responsive
♣ Self-directed
♣ Initiates own course

Action vs. reflection:
(100 percent of the group scored low to moderate, meaning that this group prefers action to reflection)

♣ Decisive in thought & action
♣ Grasps situations quickly
♣ Direct and to the point
♣ Quick in forming judgments
♣ Makes immediate decisions

Management Style:

♣ Utilizes plans and strategies. Arranges resources and assists subordinates and teams in dealing with resource and implementation issues.

Delegative Management Style:
Social Adaptability – Preference for:

♣ Positive relationships
♣ Mutual trust in dealing with others
♣ Situations that allow tolerance
♣ Lessening the discomfort in personality clashes and working well with others.

Social Responsibility – Preference for:

♣ Socially conventional work and people interactions.
♣ Staying with established traditions and social expectations
♣ Looking for acceptance from a socially conventional group.

Self Development – Preference for:

♣ Traditional educational approach to growth and development
♣ Contributions that are of a professional or managerial nature.

Corporate Adaptability – Preference for:

♣ Positions of major responsibility that demand commitment or sacrifice.
♣ Exerting strong authority and leadership.
♣ Involving others in making sacrifices for the company or team.

Sales – Preference for:

♣ Opportunities for persuasive communication.
♣ Convincing others to accept ideas, proposals, services, or products.
♣ More interaction with people than procedures.

Consultative Sales – Preference for:

♣ Utilizing substantial product knowledge to sell persuasively.
♣ Using interactive techniques to sell or persuade.

Persuasive – Persuasive interactions with others.

♣ Motivating others to accept ideas, actions or opinions through means of persuasion, reasoning or argument.

Competition and direct sales – Preference for:

♣ Work involving persuading and influencing
♣ Positions that stress communication
♣ Troubleshooting interactions
♣ Debating, convincing, instructing or selling.

Social Services – Preference for:

♣ Organized assistance and services to support and advance social conditions of the individual and community.
♣ Services that involve helping people.
♣ Work that supports the emotional needs of others.
♣ Teaching or counseling.
♣ Understanding the thoughts and feelings of others.

Literary – Preference for:

♣ Creative interest in writing and in sophisticated language skills. Indicates appreciation for abstract ideas conveyed in various mediums and materials.
♣ Creative expression of abstract ideas, written or verbal.
♣ Formal persuasion
♣ Diplomatic service.

There is a clear pattern in outward observable behavior. There is no clear pattern in what motivates each of these individuals because these underlying needs are mostly hidden and only uncovered through an assessment such as this. Without this understanding you will not in most cases understand why the stress behavior has occurred.

It is also imperative that when looking at future leaders for any organization, the competencies/behaviors are tied to organizational strategies looking forward, not the past.

Tags: Capodice & Associates