July, 1998

ONE OF THE UNSUNG HEROES of the American Revolutionary War was Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian military leader recruited by General Washington to be the Drillmaster of the Continental Army. Facing a well-trained army of British conscripts and Hessian mercenaries, von Steuben turned a ragtag collection of farmers and shopkeepers into the officer corps that led the Americans to victory.

In effect, Washington created a "level playing field" by bringing in a skilled outsider who knew the enemy and what it would take to defeat them. From von Steuben to Lafayette, Washington sought individuals who could make a difference in the outcome of the war.

Business is war, too. Day in and day out, you put your job on the line to help your company beat the competition, gain market share and become the market leader. You can’t achieve victory, however, with second-rate people.

With job candidates of almost any ability in short supply today, the battle for those of exceptional ability is fierce. But what makes some stars shine the brightest? Here are ten traits to consider when you need to find the very best.

The individual will fill a gap in your management mix. General Washington knew he needed an expert in close-order drill. Good baseball managers know their relative pitching, fielding and hitting strength and make trades accordingly. Likewise, smart corporate managers know their own organization’s strengths and weaknesses and seek to complement, not replicate, them when hiring.

With proper seasoning, the individual can fill the next job up the corporate ladder. All too often, companies consider only the demands of the current job. Why hire someone, however, you can’t promote? The upwardly mobile manager eases the burden of succession planning and improves your return on personnel investment.

Broad-based experience will bring a variety of perspectives to the challenges at hand. A recent study found that fewer than two out of five top executives are company "lifers." While promotion from within was once a well and widely regarded practice, many organizations today realize that corporate inbreeding results in a management cadre that knows only one way of doing things. The manager who has thrived in differing industries and corporate cultures not only brings a range of experience to the table – but is also likely to be flexible enough to adapt to your organization as well.

A range of past assignments bodes well for future promotability. Let’s face it: The person who gets pigeonholed into this or that functional specialty – be it purchasing, product development or public relations – has not been earmarked by his or her employer as a candidate for high-level promotion. Succession planning depends on giving the line manager staff experience and vice versa, so that someday they are truly ready for general management. Unless skills are of paramount importance (e.g., you require the world’s greatest expert in electron microscopy, data mining, econometric modeling or whatnot), look for those individuals who have been voted by past or present employers as most likely to succeed.

Communications skills are far above average. Fuzzy writing and speaking skills are rarely indicative of sharp thinking, whereas clarity and conciseness of expression are. Colloquial expressions may work well on the factory floor but are unlikely to impress your customers or Board of Directors. Likewise, verbosity in speech is often mirrored by verbosity in writing; who has the time to endure either? During an interview, don’t hesitate to ask the candidate to convince you in the next three minutes why he or she should get the job – or to prepare a brief memo, letter or report on a given subject.

The individual will be a change-agent in your organization. Abhor the candidate who believes everything is fine just the way it is and wants to become a valued team player. Unless you’re hiring followers, it’s far better to find the person who wants to lead the team in search of a better way. The candidate without a single new idea is more than likely a candidate who has mentally retired. At the same time, however, satisfy yourself that the person possesses the political savvy to accomplish change. The astute change-agent knows how to get things done, not simply what needs to be done.

The candidate understands technology and embraces it. We live and work in the Information Age. The manager who brags about not using a computer ("That’s what munchkins are for") can only have the vaguest comprehension of information technology’s potential and ultimate ease of use. From order processing to factory scheduling, from pricing models to product design, and from boardroom presentations to Internet marketing, computers enhance companies’ abilities to make informed decisions, achieve more predictable end results, optimize efficiency and outperform their slower competitors. Today’s top executives are thinking of tomorrow’s technology needs.

The person is not afraid to make tough decisions. In business, acts of omission cause more damage than acts of commission – which means that usually some kind of decision is better than none at all. Most candidates, of course, can tell you tales of extraordinary heroism, but these are often difficult to confirm. If you’re unconvinced of a candidate’s decision-making ability, ask him or her to pretend they are the head of Acme Razor Company, with a precarious 10-percent share of market. Gillette has just announced its three-bladed razor. What does the candidate do next? While there need not be a "school solution" to the problem, any response along the lines of "Let’s wait and see what effect it has on our business" should result in a failing grade.

The individual sets ambitious goals and motivates others to participate in achieving them. This is one good definition of corporate leadership and should be part of any CEO’s job description. But leadership in a well-run company is never limited to the corner office on the top floor. In the R&D labs, it motivates lone-wolf scientists and engineers to work together to design the better razor blade. In the field, it motivates the sales force to take no prisoners in the battle for marketplace supremacy. In a new plant, it can make the difference when union organizers arrive.

He or she will bring a global perspective to the job. We compete today in a global marketplace. Foreign markets exist for local products. Components of these products may be manufactured in a variety of different countries. Changes in foreign currency translation affect corporate profits and investment decisions. And employees in your organization may come from many nations. The executive of the future will be well-traveled, multilingual, aware of worldwide political and economic trends, comfortable in foreign cultures and aware of local business customs.

PROFESSIONAL SEARCH CONSULTANTS can help companies build a profile of the candidate who can do more than simply fill the job. Ultimately, of course, each company, subsidiary or unit must decide for itself what attributes will lead to on-the-job success – since the employer, not the recruiter, will be stuck with the end result. And, of course, no one size fits all. Mature companies in a cash-generation mode seek a more conservative style of manager than do high-growth-potential startups and will be most inclined to hire in their own image. (For example, it’s still awfully important in Detroit to be a "car guy.") But no matter what your industry, hire the person who will give you a leg up on your competitors. In the presence of Hessian mercenaries, do as Washington did and hire a Prussian general.

If you work in a large, multi-unit organization, others – including the corporate Human Resources and MIS Departments – might appreciate copies of this issue. These can be ordered from your Sanford Rose Associates search consultant.

©1999 SRA International, Inc. All rights reserved, including electronic reproduction or alteration. This SRA Update is published for the clients of Sanford Rose Associates.