David Ulrich's keynote speech at this year's Top Management Conference was jam packed with leadership topics and takeaways, but his first and foremost message was "Don't bail." Bail outs of any kind are a flawed concept, according to Ulrich. The term is reminiscent of either leaky boats or a temporary pass out of jail, neither of which is a positive image for proactive leaders. Instead of bailing, Ulrich challenges today's business pros to address the core problem behind the leaks in their organizations and processes -- namely, quality of leadership.
There are leaders and leadership. If your company just has a great leader, you could be in trouble, similar to Steve Jobs and Apple. However, if as a company leader, you are committed to training tomorrow's leaders and creating a leadership organization -- you may just have a future.
Today's business environment is rife with paradoxes, Ulrich notes. A great business leader has to reconcile a need for both stability and change, short-term and long-term successes, and managing costs plus growth, just to name a few. And, he or she has to have a strong heart and not be afraid of failure. As Ulrich notes, "Every successful leader has had failure in his/her life." The key is to learn from failure rather than avoid it.
Attendees received a free copy of Ulrich's book Leadership Brand. Some companies have a strong product brand, such as Mont Blanc. Others have evolved to have Firm Brands such as Nordstrom. The truly evolved company has gone one step further, and through determination and strategy developed into a leadership brand. Walmart is a key example. They believe in low prices. They live low prices, and unlike today's auto dealers, even at their conventions they stay at Motel 6's and eat saran wrapped sandwiches for lunch. They live their brand, but more importantly they embody their brand's core concepts. That consistency both inside and outside an organization is Ulrich's key for uncovering and identifying today's true leadership companies.
