Every team, whether in Sales or Marketing, needs its leaders – and each one should bring something different to the table.

In a recent New York Times interview, Paul Maritz, president and CEO of the software company VMware, broke down the four personality types he believes every business team needs to succeed.

Maritz, best known as one of the key execs who helped build Microsoft into the corporate giant it is today, cites the four personality types below as necessary for success. And, in his experience, no single person is capable of approaching initiatives from all four perspectives.

1. The Strategist (or Visionary): This is the person who sets the goals, deadlines and direction for where the organization needs to go.
2. The Manager: This person delegates responsibility, makes sure everyone has a specific role (and makes sure that role is carried out), ensures that each task is broken down into manageable pieces and there are metrics and/or benchmarks in place to measure progress along the way.
3. The People’s Champion (or The Customer’s Champion): This member of the team represents the voice of the customer. He/she keeps everyone in check so there’s no chance initiatives move forward without consideration for when, how and how much those initiatives could impact current and future customers.
4. The Enforcer: Enforcers would rather be feared than loved. They keep the process moving on time, they keep the meetings focused and on track, and they create (and carry out) consequences for employees who aren’t handling their roles properly. No one wants to be called into the Enforcer’s office for an impromptu meeting, but every employee respects the Enforcer.

Source: “Does Your Team Have the Four Essential Types?” by Adam Bryant, New York Times, 10/2/10.

What other personality types are an absolute must on your management teams? Share your thoughts in the Comments Box below.

1. Discouraging experimentation: It’s been said that you don’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs, and the same holds true in business. Managers who rule with an iron fist and come down hard on employees for making a mistake – even if it’s in the service of trying to do something positive for the company – make those employees feel like it’s not worth the risk to color outside the lines, so to speak. That type of “sweatshop” atmosphere generally results in high turnover, low morale and very little in the way of progressive ideas.
2. Criticizing in public: The old saying goes that a manager should “praise in public, criticize in private.” Surprisingly, a lot of managers get that backward, whether it’s due to impatience or wanting to make an example of employees who aren’t following procedure. Criticizing in public doesn’t only belittle an employee in front of others, it makes him/her reluctant to speak up or share constructive ideas for months or even years to come. Long term, it sends a message that management can cut down staffers whenever they like, which doesn’t bode well for “round-table” collegiality.
3. Always reacting negatively to “new” ideas: Some of the best employees a company can hope for are those who have the intelligence and ambition to recognize and capitalize on new trends. In progressive-thinking companies (e.g., Google, Amazon, etc.) the best ideas don’t necessarily all come from the top. In fact, Google insists employees devote 20% of every work week to their own Google-related project or initiative. Having the mentality that “We always do it this way because it’s always been done this way” may not be an effective management style, especially given the shifting economy and the impact technology has had on almost every facet of business.
4. Failing to communicate downward: With so many companies experiencing cutbacks and layoffs, there’s been more of a mandate from the C-suite to play things close to the vest, so to speak. Unfortunately, lack of any reassurance from management (regarding the company’s future plans and/or direction) creates fear among the ranks. Employees end up spending more time worrying about job security than they do focusing on the task at hand. One solution: Send a weekly e-mail to everyone in the department, apprising them of the latest news and changes. It allows you to put a positive spin on what’s happening, and increases the chances employees will do the same.
5. Refusing to delegate: One of the most valuable skills a great leader possesses is the ability to empower others by delegating low- and mid-level tasks to trusted employees. Delegating also allows great leaders more time to focus on big-picture tasks that allow the entire company to thrive. Managers who fail to delegate are generally not ineffective at developing employees who are eventually promoted into key positions at the company, which is a key to long-term retention.

Based in part on “Managing Risk Without Risking Experimentation,” by Art Petty, Management Excellence.

The study’s findings were based on:

• Feedback from more than 450 managers at Fortune 500 companies with a specific focus on the shared characteristics of 30 of those managers who were fired during the three years the study was conducted, and

• Additional feedback from more than 11,000 everyday business leaders  (with a specific focus on the least effective 10%).

While a lot of the characteristics that made up the top 10 may seem like no-brainers, the study also revealed that most ineffective leaders weren’t even aware they exhibited negative behaviors. In fact, those who exhibited the most negative behaviors often rated themselves very positively when surveyed.

Here are the top 10 shared characteristics of ineffective leaders (in descending order):

1. A lack of enthusiasm. Energy trickles down in corporate cultures and leaders who show a general lack of interest in pursuing new initiatives (or helping employees succeed) are a drain on productivity.
2. Acceptance of mediocre results. Complacency is the name of the game. They aim low so there’s no risk of failure (or real success).
3. A lack direction and vision. Leaders who don’t provide feedback or lack the foresight to develop new ways to help the organization evolve create a stagnant work environment.
4. Poor judgment. They make decisions based more on whims or personal feelings than hard numbers and facts. As a result, they lose the faith of their troops (and upper management).
5. Inability to collaborate. They lack the ability to compromise and they don’t respond well to constructive feedback from employees, subordinates or their superiors.
6. Failure to practice what they preach. Ineffective leaders follow “do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do” politics. In many cases they feel they’re exempt from the same rules as employees because of their position.
7. Resistant to change. They view progress as a threat. They don’t like learning new things and balk at the idea of taking on additional responsibilities, even if it means helping the company generate more revenue.
8. Failure to learn from mistakes. This means they’re doomed to repeat them.
9. A lack of communication skills. They criticize in public, praise in private (if they praise at all).  They tell employees what to do rather than empowering them by asking good questions that help them uncover the answers for themselves.
10. Failure to develop others. They see anyone with potential as a threat. They’re much more concerned with having total control than increasing productivity by delegating responsibilities or developing top employees into reliable managers.

For more (or to purchase the complete findings of the study), visit “Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, Harvard Business Review.

Lack of energy or enthusiasm: Poor leaders see any new change or challenge as a negative. They have little patience for employees’ shortcomings. They complain about being asked to take on any additional responsibilities and never volunteer to do so.

Accept mediocrity: Poor leaders are complacent. They aren’t interested in reaching the next level or exceeding goals. They don’t respond well to heightened expectations, nor are they likely to rise to the occasion. They aim low, and accept employees that do the same. They don’t challenge employees to realize their potential.

Lack clear direction or vision: Poor leaders may know what their goals are, but they don’t have a realistic plan for achieving them. They’re poor coaches. They don’t take an active role in helping employees set realistic goals or step-by-step plans for achieving them. They don’t raise the bar for themselves. If forecasts aren’t met, they blame the system or employees’ poor performance. They lack accountability.

Exhibit poor judgment: Ineffective leaders don’t see the big picture. They make decisions based on emotion rather than logic, gut feelings rather than numbers. They think of what’s best for themselves, rather than the department or the company. They seek short-term solutions for long-term problems.

Poor collaborators: Poor leaders see other managers as a threat. They don’t welcome suggestions from other departments, nor do they take kindly to constructive criticism. They would rather fail on their own merit than accept someone else’s advice. They view other managers as competition.

Manage by telling others to “do as I say, not as I do”: Poor leaders aren’t interested in “getting in the trenches” with their troops, so to speak. They expect employees to get results, but rarely take the time to help employees sharpen their skills. They enjoy looking down from the ivory tower, rather than rolling their sleeves up and getting their hands dirty. They generally defend their position by reminding others they’ve “done their time” or saying “that’s not my job.”

Resist new ideas: Poor leaders believe change is bad. They don’t encourage regular feedback from co-workers. They see progress as a challenge to “the way things used to be done around here.” When being asked to adjust something about their operation, they generally want to know what’s in it for them.

Repeat mistakes: Because poor leaders don’t appreciate criticism and they’re reluctant to admit when they’re wrong, they generally try to cover up or compensate for mistakes until they balloon into major issues. The lack of accountability causes them to repeat mistakes until they’re forced to change what they’re doing.

General lack of diplomacy: They praise in private, criticize in public.

Inability to develop others: Because poor leaders view others as a threat to their position, they’re reluctant to develop top performers into company leaders. Combine that with the other nine fatal flaws, and it makes it nearly impossible for any top performer to want or accept this type of manager’s leadership. Long term, that leads to a decrease in overall productivity and an increase in turnover.

Source: “Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders,” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, Harvard Business Review.

Is there anything else that should’ve made the list? Let us know in the Comments Box below.

That’s about $63 billion down the tubes — some of it probably your organization’s cash.

And the problems of project failure don’t just rest with IT. A recent Business Week survey of 1,000 employees found that 8 out of 10 people said their company had some organization-wide initiative underway that they believed was likely to fail.

The respondents seem to be speaking from experience, not conjecture. The study found that 78% also reported that they currently were working on a “doomed project.”

The report confirms the overall findings on corporate initiatives: Sustained research shows that across the U.S., estimated failure rates for corporate projects range from 66% to 91%.

The Business Week researchers identified all the usual project problems most every leader knows and can spot  — things like sponsors wandering off the reservation, team members underperformance, and pressures to make unrealistic commitments.

But their conclusion was that it’s not these problems that doom projects. It’s how leadership reacts when they occur.

An antidote the researchers recommend: Talk about the problem and address it, instead of trying to ignore or work around something that seems inevitable and too tough to tackle.

To read the complete Business Week assessment, visit here.

And while everybody likes to feel indispensable, it’s smart business to be looking for successors – or at least someone else capable of taking the reins.

So what exactly sets apart the leaders from the followers?

And more importantly, what makes for the most effective long-term leaders?

Here’s what to look for.

Above all, the best leaders are capable of one thing: viewing
the big picture.

That manifests itself in several ways:

• They put the business first. You approach Tim about taking on a big project. It would be a real feather in his cap, but he declines, saying that Marnie would be a better person for the job.
• They seek lots of info to make decisions. The best leaders don’t operate in a vacuum. So maybe before making a decision on a credit policy change, Sara consults not only other A/R staffers, but Sales and Customer Service. A good sign. The best leaders trust their intuition, too.
• They don’t accept the status quo. You want a little bit of rebel in your leaders. Someone who questions the way things have always been done is the person who’s likely to make changes for the better.