CommerceUVA Fall 2007 (Investors' Report) - McIntire School of ...

Good leaders are eager
to learn and use targeted
networks to help them
keep their eyes and ears
wide open.
tionships among diverse groups; these groups provide them
access to a rich array of perspectives and opportunities. second,
they surround themselves with people who complement
(rather than duplicate) their strengths and who help them see
beyond their inevitable blind spots and foibles. third, they
recognize the value in networks and work to cultivate open,
high-quality—rather than just numerous—relationships.
in short, Cross says, leaders use networks to help them
keep their eyes and ears wide open. the critical factor in high
performers’ success, then, and the factor that lies at the root of
their networking behaviors, is an eagerness to learn. “regardless
of their place in the formal hierarchy, successful leaders are
capable of accepting new ideas, challenges, and even disagreement
from the members of their personal networks,” Cross says.
Know Thy Context
While all of this self-knowledge may be essential, it’s only
part of the story. the other half of a contingency perspective
on leadership requires expertise in situational analysis. such
expertise will allow you to place yourself in the appropriate
context, and once you’re there, to continue to react appropriately
and effectively to the constant change that will inevitably
occur. “the most powerful thing people can do is understand
the context in which they find themselves,” Cowen says. “you
must be able to understand a situation if you’re going to
16 • CommerceUVa
—Rob Cross
make the choices that will enable you to effectively lead.”
Fortunately, Cowen says, people can learn how to “read”
situations, just as they can be taught to interpret literature or
make sense of data from a lab. the key, she explains, is to teach
people how to think rigorously about the different contexts
they face. managers can continually ask themselves a number
of questions in their quest to stay keenly attuned to the situation
at hand. “as the context changes,” Cowen says, “you have to
keep asking yourself questions about the organization itself, as
well as about the individuals within that organization. What is
the strategy of the organization? What are the norms, culture,
and history of the organization and to what extent do they support
(or sabotage) strategic goals? What is rewarded within the
organization, and to what extent are these behaviors consistent
with those required to achieve organizational goals?”
executives, she says, often make outstanding students.
they draw on the wisdom of their own experience and, inevitably,
their own failures. inexperienced undergraduates, however,
can also be taught to think with precision about different situations.
“after they’ve combed through 18 or 20 different case
studies,” Cowen laughs, “people start to develop some pretty
sharp analytic skills.”
No Substitute for Hard Work
But leadership is also the continual, nitty-gritty process of mak-