CHAPTER 8 THE NATURE OF LEADERSHIP
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LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
Customer Insight
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals put
themselves in the minds of the customer, and see customers’
needs and businesses, from the customers’ point of view.
They focus on the unexpressed or future needs of the cus-
tomer. Managers and senior professionals having Customers’
Insight go beyond IBM’s exemplary responsiveness to cus-
tomer complaints or problems. They don’t just try to sell IBM
products or services. They spend time with customers and
others in the marketplace to understand the underlying,
unmet needs that technology can address. On the basis of
this understanding, they focus on new business opportunities
for their area by finding a product or service that is quickly
recognised as valuable to the customer.
In support functions, outstanding IBM managers and senior
professionals focus on understanding the real needs of their
internal customers and on providing solutions that meet them.
Breakthrough Thinking
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals use their
abstraction capabilities on focus on what is really important
and to provide new insighs on how IBM can win in the
market-place. They are able to face complex issues in a quick
and innovative way (they adequately process information and
provide the right support to reach the prospected goals).
They identify and develop new solutions.
They explore the market, recognise trends, look for new
ways to capture even the smallest segments or niches in
which to concentrate their efforts and actions. They are inter-
ested in understanding how other areas of business interact
with their own in order to exploit and develop new market
opportunities or new ways of doing things.
Drive to achieve
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals are con-
stantly looking for ways to make things better (e.g. do things
faster, at lower costs, or higher quality). They set improvement
and challenging goals for themselves and their areas and evalu-
ate results to see how they (and their businesses) are perform-
ing. They act on their own initiative and take on responsibilities.
They take calculated business risks to pursue challenging
goals and to improve performance on the basis of an explicit
cost/benefit analysis.
Team Leadership
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals create
and focus on the sense of urgency to meet a challenge or to
implement a strategy to reach their goals. They provide a
sense of direction and purpose to their team and use ongoing
and influential actions to encourage people to pursue that
direction. Team leadership is critical to execution.
Straight Talk
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals candidly
tell the truth and openly share relevant information with peers,
managers and subordinates. They ensure the ‘whole’ story is
told, not just their position. They act with integrity that is con-
sistent with their beliefs, e.g. telling the truth when it is
difficult or when such truth will be unwelcome. This leader-
ship capability is essential to energise a team to quickly
execute a new direction.
Teamwork
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals work col-
laboratively and co-operatively across organisational lines and
with their own teams to serve the customer and win over compe-
tition. They can be relied on to actively support and enact team
decisions or commitments to the team. They accurately and
objectively represent their managers’ and peers’ perspectives to
the team members. They foster teamwork by treating their own
teams with respect and empowering them to make decisions
without second guessing. They celebrate their team’s successes
and encourage all team members to be accountable to each
other, and to work in collaboration across organisational lines.
Decisiveness
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals make
and act on tough decisions with the speed and sense or
urgency needed to stay with or ahead of the market, competi-
tion and customer needs, or to improve the organisation.
Building Organisational Capability
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals act to
build the organisation’s longer-term ability to produce and
sustain excellent results. They take control of the situation to
improve it, and follow through in an influential manner. They
proactively and quickly re-align the systems or processes of
their own area. They ensure that the right people are in place
and that effective networks across the organisation, correct
measures and information are implemented and supplied to
support the business strategy, not just for the sake of change.
Coaching
Outstanding IBM managers and senior professionals actively
mentor or coach others in an individualised, one-to-one
manner to build a strong team now and for the future. They
take on responsibility to identify and to support the develop-
ment of talented people and have a positive impact on the
Leadership Level of Evidence
Competency Performance
Customer Insight
Drive to Achieve
Breakthrough
Thinking
Straight Talk
Decisiveness/
Decision-Making
Teamwork
Building
Organisational
Capability
Coaching
Passion for
the Business
Personal Dedication
Focus to
Win
Mobilise
to Execute
Sustain
Momentum
The Core