CS @ HBS

I’m starting a series of notes from lectures I attend at HBS. We’re fortunate to have frequent talks given by senior executives from various industries – the only thing we lack is time to go to all of these amazing events, but I’m trying my best.

The first one I attended was a talk with Mr. Bob McDonald, COO of P&G (Procter & Gamble), about “Values Based Leadership”. Mr. McDonald drew upon his experience as an army commander and a manager and developed a set of beliefs about management and leadership.

Personal note – usually I don’t like this sort of fluffy / hug the trees kind of talks, but I was really impressed by this one. Mr. McDonald is very open, charismatic, and truly believes in what he says.

So here’s a summary of his talk:
Photo from here

P&G: $76 billion company. 7th largest in the US. Exists for 170 years.

As a manager, you can have events controlling you, but it is better that you control events.
As a leader, know your goals and beliefs as a leader and share them with your employees.

Bob McDonald’s Beliefs

1) Everyone wants to succeed – the leader’s job is to help people succeed.
- leadership is a terribly time-inefficient, you invest a lot of time in developing people and getting to know them.

2) Success is contagious – the leader’s job is to catch people succeeding. One success will always lead to another.

3) One of the leader’s most important jobs is to put the right people on the right jobs. People like doing something they’re good at. Analogy – you get the best grades in the course you like most.

4) Character is the most important trait of a leader. Character means:
- putting the organization’s needs above your own needs;
- taking personal responsibility for failures, giving credit to others for successes.
- Living by your word and actions. This is the most powerful leadership.

5) Choose the “Harder Right” and not the “Easier Wrong”.

6) Ineffective strategy, systems and culture are greater barriers to success than people. Before you blame people, check the systems / culture / strategy the organization supplies to them. It is the leader’s job to improve those.

7) There will be people who will not make it through the journey. It is the leader’s job to help them find another job. As a leader, you need to get to know the person as a person, not just as an employee.

8) Organizations must renew themselves. Growth requires change, and change requires renewal. A leader should supply training and development opportunities for his people to grow.

9) Recruiting is a key priority. Promoting at P&G is done from within the company and performance based.

10) A leader is measured by his / her organization’s performance when he or she is absent or gone. A leader should build the capabilities for the organization. “We want leaders who build watches, not those who tell the time”.

Next: Shira Goodman, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Staples.

Related posts:

1. Harvard Essays Analysis – 2006 (MBA ‘09): Essay 3: Leadership
2. Online Chat with HBS Director of MBA Admissions