From the Bookshelf This is a fortnightly review of bestsellers for business executives Listen and learn to lead By Nicole Wong Communication is the key for an incoming senior executive For any executive in a new leadership role, a thorough understanding of the company's culture and market position is essential in order to set the right agenda. The most valuable background information will almost certainly be obtained from colleagues and customers, but how should you go about establishing the right relationships and appropriate expectations while finding out what you need to know in those hectic first days or weeks? Thomas J. Neff and James M. Citrin, two of the world's leading experts on top executive recruitment, offer some useful tips in You're in Charge – Now What?: The 8 Point Plan. Highlighting the importance of the initial stages of any leadership transition, the authors propose eight key steps that a new boss should take in his or her first 100 days in order to build a firm foundation for future success. The one thing that is vital every step of the way is communication. The example of the appointment of Paul S. Pressler as CEO of Gap Inc in 2002 is used as a practical illustration of how the eight points can work. As the former chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Pressler faced a major challenge as the incoming CEO of the world's largest specialty apparel retailer whose business and staff morale had both hit a low point. After doing substantial research on his new company in the "countdown period", Pressler made it a priority to align expectations about the company's business and to shape his management team by consulting his colleagues. With this strategic agenda, he set about transforming Gap's "merchant-centric" culture into a more team-oriented one by staying visible to all employees. He did this through a web log of his daily activities and by being candid with his board of directors about his comparative lack of experience in the sector. This openness became the basis for more effective communication and helped him to avoid the common pitfall for incoming leaders of trying to accelerate performance immediately. Every move made by a new leader should be well informed and carefully thought out – and the secret to this is usually "active listening". To make this possible, Neff and Citrin suggest a list of six questions for managers to ask their colleagues, which will reveal much of what they need to know. These include asking about the top three things the company has to change and why, and what staff are most concerned the new boss might do (You're in Charge p.68). Besides such insights, the book is also packed with practical recommendations on equipping oneself for the challenges ahead. Examples range from how to prepare physically and mentally to how to acquit oneself well with employees on informal occasions. While the eight-point plan can be distilled into two main principles – listen and learn, underpromise and overdeliver – they are brought to life in entertaining and enlightening first-person anecdotes by more than 50 chief executives and senior managers. Jim Kilts, for instance, learned about his company's culture by listening closely to Gillette's salesmen and suppliers after he was appointed as the company's first outside CEO in 2001. This enabled him to go into his first board meeting with realistic proposals for future objectives and, ultimately, to remedy the company's failing business with the full support of his team and a carefully planned strategy which they agreed upon. The book concentrates on action to take rather than traps to avoid and, with its "hit the ground running" approach, will prove a valuable guide for many incoming managers at all levels. Neff and Citrin conclude with some particularly apt advice: leadership is an intense journey, and there will be many first hundred days in the years to come. Content highlights: The initial stage of leadership transition is crucial to its success and should follow certain practical steps Each move made by a new corporate leader should be accompanied by open communication with colleagues who know most about the company Long-term momentum can only be sustained by continuous efforts to consolidate fundamentals About the authors Thomas J. Neff is chairman of Spencer Stuart US and has led its CEO and board of directors practice. He is the co-author of Lessons from the Top . James M. Citrin leads Spencer Stuart's global technology, communications and media practice. He is the author of Zoom and the co-author of The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers and Lessons from the Top. "Gritty advice...for making good and fast decisions in the first days of fresh responsibilities" – Michael Useem, director, Wharton Center for Leadership and Change. Taken from Career Times 27 May 2005 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]