Forget what you’ve read in all those business management books. There is no generic strategy for effective leadership.
Perhaps the only thing stopping you from leading is you.
“I don’t believe there’s any one strategy you can use to be a better leader, because each of us is individual and our leadership challenges are different,” says Rodney Ferguson.
As a D.V.M., Ph.D. and owner of Akron Veterinary Referral and Emergency Center Inc., Ferguson employs 40 people and oversees his Copley animal hospital. Considering his background, his challenges are unique.
“I was trained as a surgeon, but not as a leader,” he says. “When I opened my practice, it grew very quickly and I found myself struggling as an administrative leader.”
In searching for direction, Ferguson turned to Laurie Zuckerman, president of Zuckerman Consulting Group Inc. But instead of telling him how to be a better leader, Zuckerman listened and asked relevant questions that helped Ferguson define his challenges.
“I don’t ‘teach’ or ‘train’ anyone to be a leader — I support them in learning to work together for the good of their company, whether that entails developing a vision or solving day-to-day issues,” Zuckerman explains. “The emphasis is on vision and focus, so I give them insight into what blocks them from effective leadership, and focus that propels them to greatness.”
Ferguson says he was too focused on his medical duties. He needed to devote more attention to the hospital’s mission and his staff’s needs. Having identified the problem, he could now envision a leadership plan germane to his situation.
“I had to go further than just doing surgery. I needed to learn how to deal with people better,” he says. “And instead of giving carte blanch authority for employees to make decisions, I needed to provide more medical direction, to give everyone a sense of input and understanding so we all followed a common path.”
Zuckerman works with entrepreneurs who are excellent leaders individually, but who want to improve as team leaders. As president and CEO of Audio-Technica U.S. Inc., an audio equipment manufacturer and distributor in Stow, Phil Cajka says that’s why he sought out Zuckerman’s expertise.
“I was trying to determine my own leadership style, because the previous president had been more autocratic, and my first interest was how to work better as a team with my officers,” he says.
After observing Cajka and team in action, Zuckerman shed light on issues that blocked their joint leadership skills. First, they had to realize that their team was composed of individuals from different departments, and each had contrasting backgrounds and perspectives.
“Everyone had different views of how problems affected their own department, so we had to learn to make decisions together to benefit the company as a whole,” says Cajka.
They also had to understand how their decisions affected the staff. For example, one policy required plant employees to use a time clock, while office personnel noted their hours on time sheets. This insinuated that management didn’t trust the factory workers.
“When we considered how that affected them emotionally, we decided to have everyone use time sheets,” he says.
Human resources issues were also handled by the vice president of operations before the staff swelled to 120.
“Things just weren’t clicking and we’d been ignoring that,” he says. “But after the leadership sessions, we put an HR department in place. Now employees have a place to take their concerns.”
Cajka says the challenge for every leader is figuring out how to move the company forward. But for a custom-made strategy for effective leadership, he says, you must first define your own style and focus on the needs of your employees. How to reach: Zuckerman Consulting Group Inc., (330) 867-3000
