How Would the Professionals Go About Hiring the Next President of the United States (POTUS)?

Transcription

1 DALLAS 5851 Legacy Circle, Ste 600 Plano, TX T F topgunventures.com How Would the Professionals Go About Hiring the Next President of the United States (POTUS)? - PREPARED BY - Peter Donovan, Managing Partner and Donald E. Tuttle, Managing Partner, L.L.C.

2 Table of Contents: Page: How Would the Professionals Go About Hiring the Next 3 President of the United States (POTUS)? Lesson 1 Focus on the Endgame 3 (What do you want the next POTUS to achieve?) Lesson 2 Be Clear about the Criteria 5 (What does it take to reach the endgame?) Lesson 3 Use the Checklist 7 (Checklists work, so why not use them?) Why We Should Still Be Optimistic 8 APPENDIX Explanation of the Criteria Checklist 9 Blank Template for Rating Candidates 11 About 12 2

3 How Would the Professionals Go About Hiring the Next President of the United States (POTUS)? Whether you are amused or disgusted by the U.S. presidential candidates demagoguery, you may well agree that this is the most important election of our lifetime. There are tremendous issues that need to be dealt with both domestically and globally and we ll need to be smarter than ever about electing a leader with the proper breadth and depth of experience. This is our third report on selecting the President of the United States (POTUS), and as before we are not going to impose our views about the candidates. Instead we want voters to use a proven methodology to reach their own conclusions. This methodology draws lessons from the world we know best, the world of executive search. Executive search firms help organizations select leaders every day. We ve seen that in the absence of a welldesigned process companies often make bad choices. Why is that? It s because humans tend to make decisions based on emotional factors; it s literally how our brains are wired. The choice of POTUS follows the same unhappy dynamics; most voters key in on surface emotional factors and end up voting for a President who doesn t get the job done. How do we avoid this problem? The solution is to have a disciplined approach that dampens our natural emotional reactions to candidates and replaces it with a factor-by-factor analysis to determine which leader will deliver the results the country needs. Here are three lessons voters should heed if they care about the fate of the country. Lesson 1 Focus on the Endgame (What do you want the next POTUS to achieve?) The first lesson voters should learn from the executive search business is that you don t just hire a leader to fill a role; you hire them to accomplish something specific. In other words, you pick someone who can get you to your endgame. Each of the candidates has their own ideas about what the agenda should look like, but do their ideas really match what you think this country needs? Will their agenda turn the nation around? Both business clients and voters typically make their selection of a leader based on who they want to be associated with; what that person has done in the past; and who they like most. While these are important traits voters ought to start with the question, What do you want the next POTUS to achieve? They should ask themselves, What is the endgame? What would the nation look like if the goals you set out for the POTUS were reached? How would the endgame help your family? Once you are clear about where you want to end up, you can reengineer back to see what characteristics a successful POTUS needs to have. 3

4 At we call those leaders that can get to the endgame, no matter the circumstances, GameChangers. We have identified four Archetypes of GameChangers. The two that are most relevant for this election cycle are the Accelerator and Transformer GameChangers types. Accelerators are needed when you want to get the best out of people, systems and processes to improve results all around. They make the best of what we have, but they don t fix systemic issues. Transformers are needed when the current system is no longer working and, no matter how you tweak it, just won t solve the challenges ahead. This is the appropriate archetype if you need to move to a new strategic direction to survive and create a new platform for growth. (The other two types of GameChangers are Entrepreneurs who get a new business off the ground and Launchers who can launch new policies with an existing framework. These latter two archetypes are less relevant in this crucial election.) While it s easy for voters and companies to agree on the urgency to transform, they have to have the stomach for this journey. Pick a Transformer and everything you are familiar with may need to change. With Transformers, things may get worse before they get better. Accelerators may seem a more palatable choice, but you have to accept that structural problems may just get kicked down the road. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are Transformers and Hillary Clinton would be an Accelerator. 4

5 So how do Clinton (Accelerator), Trump and Sanders (Transformers) political views and campaign promises compare to each of these GameChangers archetypes? If we categorize Clinton as an Accelerator she will try and get the best out of people, systems and processes and make the best of what we have but won t eliminate systemic issues. Her website, ( lists many of her key policies and vision for America if she becomes POTUS including climate change, raising incomes of working, affordable healthcare, gun violence prevention, protecting social security and Medicare, labor (unions) and women s rights to mention a few. Most would agree that many of these issues are not new but continue to be improved over time. Conversely, Trump and Sanders are Transformers, meaning they want to move this country to a new strategic direction and create a new platform for growth and introduce disruptive ideas in order to take this country in a new direction. Clearly, their campaign issues and vision for America is much different as illustrated in their respective websites. Trump s vision and campaign policies ( is all about Make America Great Again! and his plan is to stop illegal immigration by having Mexico pay for the wall along our southern border, repeal Obamacare, overhaul trade agreements with China, total tax reform that will reduce taxes, Veterans Administration reform and fight to keep second amendment of Constitution to bear arms. Similarly, Sanders is proposing many disruptive and transformative ideas albeit trying to solve America s problems in a different manner based on the issues highlighted in his website ( As a self-proclaimed Socialist he is campaigning against income and wealth inequality, provide free college tuition, increasing minimum wages, tax reform targeted at high income earners, provide Medicare for all and generally have government provide more services than ever before. A big part of your decision as a voter has to be based on whether you believe the country needs a POTUS that is a Transformer or Accelerator to take us to your endgame, where you want the country to end up. The selection of a leader in business or politics is based on an impassioned debate about the best person for the job at hand. We may not always agree on the best GameChangers Archetype or on the best approach the POTUS should take but we can all agree that we don t want a leader who performs poorly. That s where the next lesson from search professionals helps: be clear about the criteria. Lesson 2 Be Clear about the Criteria (What does it take to reach the endgame?) After the conversation about what the POTUS must accomplish and hence what GameChangers Archetype is needed, the discussion needs to focus on the selection criteria. Most voters don t get past likeability; a factor we call Having the ear of the people. That s one criterion, and an important one, but it shouldn t be the only one that voters consider. Following the model we use for hiring senior business leaders we ve created a checklist of the most important criteria for a POTUS (Figure 1). To give some context, we ve included the scores of previous great presidents. 5

6 FIGURE 1: Checklist of POTUS Selection Criteria and Scores of Top Past Performers Rating of experience and proven performance High (3 points): Above average Medium (2 points): Average Low (1 point): Below average POTUS CHECKLIST SELECTION CRITERIA GEORGE WASHINGTON JOHN F. KENNEDY RONALD REAGAN LEADERSHIP OF THE NATION Has the ear of the people? What is the right GameChangers Archetype (Entrepreneur, Launcher, Accelerator or Transformer) to lead the country to where it needs to go next and how do they perform? 3 Entrepreneur /Launcher 3 Transformer 3 Accelerator ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITES Able to pick the best people and create a high-performance team? Able to influence congress to pass legislation? MUST HAVES Manage the economy? Act as commander-in-chief? Has the right temperament, intellectual, emotional & physical capability? KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Energy? Healthcare? Education? International diplomacy? Budget? TOTAL (MAXIMUM IS 36 POINTS) SUITABILITY FOR ROLE = % (Total/36 x 100) 86% 86% 89% 6

7 It s apparent that these are not the factors most voters use. Instead as discussed, they base their voting decision on likeability factors including idealistic campaign promises, how a candidate looks and talks, celebrity status, and so on. None of these other factors help us decide which candidate can deliver the outcomes they need to accomplish and create the type of world we want to live in. You can see that we ve seeded the template with examples of GameChanging Presidents from the past. This sets a high standard and shows what kinds of scores are needed to be very successful. If you score a candidate on this template and the sum is less than 80% then don t expect great things. We ve made two changes to the checklist since our papers of 2008 and One is to make explicit that deciding on the GameChangers Archetype has to be part of the rating process. Also, based on the candidates in the running, we ve added temperament, intellectual, emotional & physical capability. This step of adjusting the criteria is quite common in the corporate world where the business challenges evolve and it s hard for clients to articulate precisely what they need until they ve seen a few candidates. You ll find a blank template and an extended description of each criterion in the appendix. We strongly encourage you to take a moment to score the leading candidates now. Lesson 3 Use the Checklist (Checklists work, so why not use them?) Dr. Atul Gawande s The Checklist Manifesto explains that the world is now so complex that even skilled professionals need checklists to avoid making fatal mistakes. Pilots use checklists to ensure the plane is safe to fly. Surgeons use checklists to ensure no crucial step has been overlooked. If pilots and surgeons see the need for checklists, we as voters should accept we need that discipline too. Checklists really do work and voters need to use them to avoid making a choice they ll later regret. An Underlying Problem We will be on the right path if we can get voters to: Look first at what they want the POTUS to achieve and how they would recognize success. Look beyond the emotional criterion of likeability to a full checklist of key criteria. However, the question arises as to why we don t have a richer pool of candidates. We, as a nation, need to look at the process for creating the candidate pool. The best executive search firms identify, evaluate and recruit the best candidates to fit that role. That doesn t happen in presidential elections and it often leaves voters choosing among less than ideal options. 7

8 One way forward would be to form a POTUS executive committee (like the Board of Directors of a company). The committee would nominate a slate of prospective candidates and develop a detailed position specification (like we do in the search world). The specification would clarify the endgame, list the ideal background and experience of candidates, and measure the candidates against the specification prior to any primary elections. There are many other ways to find strong candidates, but the essential goal is to establish the criteria for success and find much better talent regardless of methodology. Improving the process for picking the pool of candidates will also help make the POTUS role a respected and desired position again. Why We Should Still Be Optimistic We all have the opportunity to base our vote on a disciplined process using the proven power of a good checklist. We know from our experience in the corporate world that this approach leads to a less emotional, more robust, discussion and ultimately a better choice of leader. What would be the impact of electing a GameChanging President? Would it be 5 times or 10 times better than in the past? How would your family and the world be better off if we the people did our job of electing a GameChanger versus an underperforming leader? It s never been more important for the country to pick the right POTUS. Let s help voters make the best choice by systematically working through the critical factors as we have outlined. We should refuse to accept a slate of underperformer Presidents. In today s age of transparency, where we have detailed knowledge about a candidate s performance we have no excuse for getting it wrong. This election is of crucial importance; let s make the right decision. 8

9 APPENDIX Explanation of the Criteria Checklist LEADERSHIP OF THE NATION Has the ear of the people Before a leader can begin moving to achieve the endgame results, he or she needs to sort out the organization. That s why leadership capability is the first on our list of criteria. The POTUS must have the ear of the people so that he or she has the political support to get results. Voters should look at the leader s history of attracting and maintaining a wide base of support. The right archetype to lead the country where it needs to go next (Entrepreneur, Launcher, Accelerator or Transformer) The POTUS needs to be a GameChanger; someone who can get results in a turbulent world. But there are four types of GameChangers Archetypes. To define what archetype is needed, voters first need to be clear about the endgame they seek. Then they need to judge the candidate s capabilities against that archetype someone who would be a great Accelerator might not be a great Transformer and vice versa. Look at the leader s experience in roles requiring that archetype. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES Able to pick the best people and create a high-performance team The POTUS does not do the job alone, they need to be able to select and lead a highly capable cabinet. Unlike the corporate world where a new CEO often takes over an experienced team, the POTUS needs to fill all the key cabinet positions from scratch. So the proven ability to pick the best people and create a high-performing team must be high on the voters checklist. Look at the candidates track record in leading a successful business or in a government role. Did they solve similar problems? Are they experienced in recruiting the kind of expert leaders they will need to run the various departments of government (Defense, Treasury, Energy, etc.)? Have they shown they can build a high performance team that get things done? Able to influence Congress to pass legislation Unlike businesses where a CEO holds most of the power, a POTUS can easily be blocked by Congress. Their ability to get results rests on their ability to influence Congress. Do you feel strongly a candidate will be able to work with and influence Congress to pass legislation? Do they have a well thought out plan to address problems and lead the various departments of government? 9

10 MUST HAVES Manage the economy Whether in business or government what is their experience in managing a large profit and loss business or government budget? Have they created new jobs and built a successful company or do they have the knowledge and understanding to pass legislation to help businesses create new jobs and prosper leading to a successful economy? Do their previous accomplishments give them the experience to solve many of the government s problems today? Act as commander-in-chief Are they capable of making key decisions related to America s defense policy and in combatting terrorism? Will he/she gain the respect of foreign leaders as well as our own military as new threats develop around the world? Will he/she be diplomatic when negotiating with foreign leaders that are hostile to the U.S. and will he/she be able to successfully protect the security of the United States of America? Temperament, Intellectual, Emotional & Physical Stability Are they able to withstand the intense pressures of this role when conflicts break out and do they have the intellectual and emotional stability to deal with all the problems, both domestically and globally, that they will be faced with over a four year period? Do you consider them to be honest, high integrity and have the passion to solve the problems facing America today? Will they be respected and diplomatic when dealing with foreign leaders and Congress? Are they physically up to this role for at least four years? KEY RESPONSIBILITIES The final part of the selection criteria follows from the key jobs that need to get done to reach the endgame. Energy Ensuring a secure supply to match demand and lower cost. Healthcare Creating efficiencies to control costs and improve coverage. Education Raising the quality of education at all levels and on par with leading countries. International Diplomacy Using influence to protect long-term national interests. Budget Getting the debt and deficit under control. 10

11 BLANK TEMPLATE FOR RATING CANDIDATES Rating of experience and proven performance High (3 points): Above average Medium (2 points): Average Low (1 point): Below average POTUS CHECKLIST SELECTION CRITERIA Candidate A Candidate B Candidate C LEADERSHIP OF THE NATION Has the ear of the people? What is the right GameChangers Archetype (Entrepreneur, Launcher, Accelerator or Transformer) to lead the country to where it needs to go next and how do they perform? ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITES Able to pick the best people and create a high-performance team? Able to influence congress to pass legislation? MUST HAVES Manage the economy? Act as commander-in-chief? Has the right temperament, intellectual, emotional & physical capability? KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Energy? Healthcare? Education? International diplomacy? Budget? TOTAL (MAXIMUM IS 36 POINTS) SUITABILITY FOR ROLE = % (Total/36 x 100) 11

12 ABOUT TOP GUN VENTURES is a premier global executive search firm with offices in Austin, Boston, Dallas, New York, Palo Alto, Seattle and St. Louis and reach throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Top Gun Ventures specializes in recruiting proven GameChanging executives that can lead our clients to the endgame, making their financial goals and business vision a reality., LLC THIS EXECUTIVE SEARCH SPECIFICATION IS INTENDED AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE PROCESSES USED BY TOP GUN VENTURES IN DOING EXECUTIVE SEARCHES AND NO ACTUAL SEARCH PROFILE OR ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED WITH REGARD TO ANY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. THIS EXECUTIVE SEARCH SPECIFICATION IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TO YOU LEGAL, POLITICAL OR ANY OTHER ADVICE. NOR IS IT INTENDED TO PERSUADE OR INFLUENCE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS OR POSITIONS. NOTHING IN THIS EXECUTIVE SEARCH SPECIFICATION SHOULD BE INTERPRETED AS AN ENDORSEMENT OF, OPPOSITION TO, OR AFFILIATION WITH ANY CANDIDATE AND/OR THEIR VIEWS, POSITIONS OR POLICIES. THIS IS NOT CAMPAIGN MATERIAL. 12