The Power of Thinking Like a CEO...and Unlike One

Transcription

1 ARTICLE The Power of Thinking Like a CEO...and Unlike One Ann Herrmann-Nehdi Interview by Michele Molnar, November 1, 2006

2 Power of Thinking Like a CEO Article: Paper in Brief Discover why thinking is one of the primary jobs of every leader.. Explore Learn a Whole Brain approach for covering all the thinking bases. Get practical tips for applying the full spectrum of thinking available to address If thinking about new concepts and ideas brings us knowledge, and knowledge brings us power and money, why don t we spend more time thinking? We can hire all the smart people we want, but if we can t get them to unleash their intelligence in the right way, for the right purpose, their abilities are wasted. Sometimes, in putting a team together, we unintentionally hamstring some of our best thinking... including our own. Vistage member Ann Herrmann-Nehdi is an expert in thinking styles, and how brainpower. We asked her to tell us how Vistage members can maximize their own and their team s thinking. Here are Herrmann-Nehdi s recommendations: 2

3 1. Build an awareness. Understand the brainpower available to you. Ask yourself, How much brainpower do I really use both of my own, and of my people? 2. Apply your new awareness about thinking to a critical business challenge. Ask yourself, How can I apply this new understanding of thinking to an issue we are facing right now? As CEOs, many of us know, but we forget that our primary job is to think, says Herrmann-Nehdi. We need to optimize what we re doing with our differences in thinking on our management or executive teams. Who brings fresh thinking to the mix? Is some thinking uncomfortable? It might mean hiring someone who makes you very uncomfortable. And, of course, listening to their ideas. It s very easy to get contaminated by your own industry mindset [or] by your own internal culture mindset, explains Herrmann-Nehdi. People who think more strategically read books and magazines to learn about industries that have nothing to do with theirs today, but that might impact them someday. current ways of doing business will be altered dramatically by a new technology and innovative thinking for these possibilities. Attending Vistage group meetings is one excellent way of discovering new ways of thinking about your business. As the chief strategic thinker in your business, you need to look outside your current world view, or you could be caught off-guard, she says. The four-color, four-quadrant graphic and Whole Brain are trademarks of Herrmann Global, LLC. The Whole Brain Model depicts the four different thinking styles and serves as an organizing principle for how the brain works. Although you it may prefer certain modes of thinking over others, everyone has access to all four quadrants. Using the skill of Whole Brain Thinking, agile leaders are able to fully leverage their preferences, stretch to other styles when necessary, and adapt to and take advantage of the preferences of those around environment. Originally developed at General Electric, the highly validated Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI ) thinking preferences across the four quadrants of the Model. Being a CEO requires a whole-brain approach. Thinking must be active in all four quadrants of the brain. A Herrmann International study found that CEOs have multi-dominance. It s just as important that all thinking styles are represented on their teams. 3

4 Take a look at your executive team and their teams to determine whether everyone is thinking alike. What kinds of thinkers aren t represented in your inner circle and the wider circle of your organization? Surround yourself with thinking that covers all the bases she says. This includes: Strong, analytical, bottom-line thinking. A strong thinker will provide you with good data and numbers--information that is absolutely clean and reliable. Execution expertise. This is someone who really understands how processes work and how to get things done with t s crossed and i s dotted. Strong people skills. This person should have a grasp of the internal and external constituencies in your business. This isn t limited to the HR function, but someone who understands what s going on inside a customer s mind, or employees perspectives. Global thinking. This is someone who will challenge your own thinking with a big picture perspective. It could be someone in R&D, in product development or someone who contributes a valued strategic perspective. If yours is a small business, you can outsource this, says Herrmann- Nehdi. You should have those four voices at the table and let everyone know up front the thinking the team needs from them. Make sure no one is wearing blinders. I ve seen great teams assembled, then watched as contributors are ignored by one or more folks on the team, or most importantly, ignored by the CEO, Herrmann-Nehdi says. Thinking is a form of doing. Our culture is focused on do, do, do. In fact, we have been so focused on doing and being specialized, that thinking has been devalued, explains Herrmann-Nehdi. This notion of a CEO saying, My primary job is to think, or Your primary job is to think induces guilt, or makes us anxious that it might look like someone isn t doing anything at all. 4

5 But thinking really should be a primary focus of every CEO. For some Ann Herrmann-Nehdi is a Vistage member and CEO of Herrmann employees. Reprinted with permission by Vistage International. Copyright 2006, Vistage International, Inc. About Herrmann International Herrmann International works with Fortune 500 companies and leading academic institutions to improve employee and team performance. Herrmann s work focuses on practical ways to leverage differences in individual thinking styles. Building on research originally begun at General Electric, the company has developed applications that range from developing strategy at the executive level to increasing sales force productivity. More than a million people have completed the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI ), the assessment tool at the heart of the company s approach. in Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. 5

6 FOLLOW US: Phone: or CLIENTS Herrmann International clients, for whom better thinking has become integral to their business culture, include: