This continues a series of guest columns from practitioners
and bloggers I respect. The category - The Real Deal describes them
well.
Nicole Milstead is Senior Director of Business Development for the Applications
Global Sales Support Organization at Oracle. Prior to Oracle, she was responsible for the
Analyst Relations Team at SAP. I worked with her at Gartner. Just a wonderful human being. And great with customers, colleagues.
From the outside, you hear all kinds of stories about Oracle - the politics, Larry's management style. After reading Nicole's column below, I certainly have respect for Larry's management style for letting someone like her blossom.
"Recently, I was invited to speak at my company’s
professional development leadership course. I was asked to discuss how to build
a high caliber, productive team and how to manage and lead that team through
change.
At first, I felt like Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver….”you
talking to me?” What do I know about leadership at a 55,000 employee company?
Aren’t there 6,592 books at $22.50 a pop that discuss great leadership
strategies? Why ask me?
Then when I thought about it, I realized I am probably more
representative of leadership than most folks or strategies discussed in those
6,592 books. Let’s be clear….. the leadership that I am talking about is the
Dilbert-like, mid-management in a large company and happy to be there type of
leadership. Not the “Bill Gates”, “Larry Ellison”, “Jack Welch” type of
leadership. That type of leadership is a little too visionary for me – besides
I am just not that smart.
Truth be told, I do have a really successful team. We are
lean, but highly innovative and productive, have the statistics and proof
points to back our output and best of all, we have no “personnel” issues - aka management
nightmares.
I have read some of those leadership and management books
and I even polled my current team to ask them about successful leadership and
management. Want to know the answer to successful team building, driving
productivity and optimal leadership?
Common Sense.
It all goes back to your very first lessons in life – led by
dear, old Mom and Dad.
Treat people the way you would like to be treated, have a
good attitude, be respectful, be honest, get along with people, praise when it
is the right time, offer guidance when praise is not appropriate, be proactive,
step up to the plate, resolve conflicts, don’t ask anyone to do anything you
wouldn’t and realize that work is only one facet of life.
Oh yeah….it also helps to make really wise hiring decisions.
Some people would say I am simplifying the art of leadership
and management, but I really don’t think so. Think about it. It really does
boil down to good interpersonal skills, solid ethics, motivation and the “do
unto others” creed that we learned at two years of age.
I think I just saved you $22.50 on your next management
leadership book purchase, but still recommend that you spend the money on “All
I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” It might not qualify for a
management leadership bestseller, but it probably makes more sense."
Nicole can be reached at nicole.milstead@oracle.com
Oh and by the way, checks for $ 22.50 should be addressed to her agent, Vinnie Mirchandani!
