My post yesterday on Level 5 leadership in recruiting was spurred by a conversation I had the other day with a recruiting director who mentioned that she was tired of her boss only paying attention and often, taking credit, when she was working on a high profile project.
It reminded me not only of Good to Great's level 5 leadership concept, but also of a speech that Ken Blanchard gave at a user conference I attended (yes, the same conference where he famously ripped me a new one - still waiting for that lunch, Ken). In the speech, which really was excellent, Blanchard talked about management really be an inverted pyramid where you are at the bottom and your job is really to "support your people." Yes, you need to provide clear boundaries and incentives to do the right things, but the concept of actively working to empower your people (and sharing in the glory) was a powerful image that sticks with me to this day.
If you take the quote from yesterday and insert the word "directors of recruiting," "VP of HR," or "recruiting managers" you start to get a clear picture about what it takes to be a level 5 leader.
While highly ambitious, Level 5 (directors of recruiting/vp's of hr/recruiting managers) sacrifice their own profiles and channel their energies into ambition for their organizations. They blend humility and modesty instead of personal flair, often deflecting any talk of their own responsibility for the company's success and instead pointing to their great teams, market conditions, or even dumb luck.
As such, there is an almost zen-like quality to great recruiting and HR leaders I've met. While the natural inclination early in your career may be to take credit where credit is due in order to "make your mark," there are infinitely more rewards for those that share some of the spotlight with their people. Suggested reading: The Tao of Pooh, which might in fact be the best non-management management book I've read.
When was the last time you held up a member of your team for special credit with the leaders in your organization? There's a cascade of positive effects that happens when you do this. First, everyone loves recognition for a job well done, and often, others on your team see this recognition and begin to act in ways worthy of attaining this same level. Second, the people you report to begin to see you as a much more mature, emotionally intelligent and conscientious individual - while often giving you as much if not more credit than you instinctively might have tried to claim.
Next week I'll explore perhaps the most important component of Level 5 leadership - surrounding yourself with great people.
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