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What initially led to your interest in the topic of emerging markets and innovation, and what has sustained that interest?
This is a great question and I wish that I had a premeditated plan and could look smart here. But it really is a story of experience shaping the course of an expertise. Obviously I grew up in America and Americans are not known as being global thinkers. As an example, from being just a second generation American, I am the first in my family to have a passport and to travel internationally. As I started travelling (34 countries now), I got exposed to the emerging markets over a decade ago and settled down and started focusing on what it will take to succeed as a leader here. Innovation is the by product of and demand from the emerging markets. So they are closely related.
I read in one of your former articles that for years you have believed that one of the greatest headship approaches is the patriarchal style, since leading employees is comparable in skill and attitude to a father raising his children. What were some of the most important lessons you learned from your mentor?
From my dad, I learned to be at work when your boss arrives and still be there when he leaves each day. In other words - hard working. He also taught me, “You can if you think you can”. That statement has probably shaped me more than any other. But as for lessons from my mentor, it was my very first boss who taught me to never, ever cut a corner. You should always do 100% as it is a reflection of your character. To summarize the important lessons they are:
1) Work as hard as you possibly can
2) Believe in your abilities.
If you had to name individuals or publications that have had the highest effect on your philosophy, who or what would they be?
Beyond my dad, there are two individuals who have had the great effect on my philosophy: Ralph Lauren and Malcolm Gladwell. While, I like the fashion of Ralph Lauren, it is actually his leading the creation of an empire from the boot of his car to publically traded company with a market cap of $11.5 billion. Malcolm Gladwell shaped my view on how leaders are developed with the concept of accumulated advantage. The publication is clearly Fast Company with its cutting edge thinking.
You clearly love interacting with people, but what kind of communication do you take pleasure in most: speaking, training or writing?
Speaking on the stage is my favorite thing to do. There is something electrifying about speaking into the microphone and watching people grow in thought and confidence. Next would be writing. But I much prefer to have written rather than actually write.
What should managers and leaders do to surmount the deficiencies of their corporate environment?
They need to take note of the deficiencies rather than act like they don’t exist or bokra they will go away, inshallah. They need to be honest about what does and doesn’t exist, and then they can rectify it and build on their strengths. I am a firm believer the businesses need to focus on the concept of workplace productivity.
What is one tool, technique or approach that people could start applying today to bring more creativity into their work or their business organization?
Increase their sources of information and business intelligence. The broader the inputs, the more creativity that comes. As fun as a coffee shops banter is, if you want to be creative - you need to expand the input.
What is your latest book, “The CEO Shift” about and why is this shift so significant?
The CEO Shift outlines what leaders need to do in the future of business and argues that there are five shifts that need to be made: the market shift, growth shift, speed shift, talent shift and leader shift. In summary it is a book challenging leaders that Africa and Asia is the future and how to break out of western oriented business thinking (even for companies based in Africa and Asia as they are largely enamored with and influenced by the Western ways) and make a shift to succeed in the future.
What new projects are you working on?
I am finishing a book entitled 10 Tips on Leading in the Middle East and starting the mental part of a book entitled LeaderShift. And for fun, I decided that at the end of 2011 I will take all of the articles I wrote for the year and package them into a free e-book titled Unlocking Leadership Potential.
Do you believe that the most successful leaders are those whose traits are a combination of the home-based and the imported? I do. Why? Largely because their inputs and exposure is much broader. Therefore, they can see from a variety of vantage points and hopefully can relate better. But the real key to being a great leader is knowing how to impact your followers.
Dr. Tommy, you have some extraordinary understanding through working with over 2,000 CEOs and business leaders from around the world - could you share some insights about this experience?
Sure, it is a real honor to be trusted with the insights from so many leaders. My wife gets frustrated sometimes, as CEOs and government leaders will ring up late at night just wanting to talk through what they are thinking about. I take their confidentiality quite seriously. But if I were to summarize the insights it is, they are good at sharing the direction, knowing the details of the business, developing others, and making decisions.
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Meet Dr. Tommy Weir
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