Identify your leaders
Finding leaders who can work in this type of collaborative
culture requires a lot of effort in the interviewing process. In
addition to educational background and work history, Weddle
says he wants to know what type of management style potential executives bring to the table and how they are able to work
with others.
“You do some situational kinds of discussions,” Weddle says.
“You ask them about their leadership style. You ask them who was
the most effective person they were ever responsible to and have
them describe that individual.”
Weddle says he is looking for people who want to be part of
a team and can readily accept that they don’t always have all
the answers.
“You can almost always do it a little bit better,” Weddle says.
“You’ve got a lot of proofreaders out there. Every decision, every
bit of correspondence, every statement, every decision that you
make, there is no lack of critics. They can tell you pretty quickly,
‘Boy, you didn’t do this one very well.’ I appreciate that.”
Weddle says he looks for people who are good listeners. He also
relies on his instincts in determining who would be a good fit in
terms of their personal values and how those values match up with
those of himself and the company.
“You’ve got to sit down with those people and think, ‘Do I
want to spend 10 or 12 hours a day for the next 20 years working with this person?” Weddle says. “If the answer is no, I don’t
care how smart they are, it’s not the right fit.”
HOW TO REACH: Edward Jones, www.edwardjones.com or (314) 515-2000
