The Human Capital Knowledge Exchange

An exchange of trends, ideas, news and events on the ever challenging issues revolving around the acquisition and retention and development of your most valuable asset - human capital.

There is a clear relationship between the effectiveness of a company's human capital and the creation of superior shareholder return.

Click here to learn how Epsen Fuller Associates can help you drive shareholder value!

DRS TECHNOLOGIES FILLS THREE KEY FINANCE POSITIONS
Epsen Fuller & Associates Preferred Provider
(Click Here for More)

EPSEN FULLER & ASSOCIATES LEADS CYCLING TEAM TO FIGHT CANCER
(Click Here for More)

AESC BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES EPSEN FULLER & ASSOCIATES
Unanimous Vote into prestigious Association of Executive Search Consultants a Milestone
 (Click Here for More)
 

No Leader is an Island

CEOs dominate the covers of business magazines. They have become synonymous with their companies. Yet no CEO stands alone. During a session on leadership at the Wharton Advanced Management Program (AMP), Wharton Professor Mike Useem pointed to research showing that the quality of management teams is a better predictor of company performance than the CEO alone. "The team, who's on it, how well they relate together all add up to what great leadership should be defined as, as opposed to being a great individual," Useem said.

Strong followers are essential to successful leaders, said David Berg in a second AMP session. Think about Lord of the Rings ring carrier Frodo Baggins without Sam Gamgee, the Lone Ranger without Tonto, Star Trek's Captain Kirk without Spock, John Lennon and Paul McCartney without George Harrison. In each case, followers complemented and completed leaders. "We act as if leadership is a characteristic of one person that can be developed independent of any relationships," Berg said. "The same person is not going to have the same success depending on who the followers are. Why don't we spend any time, energy, or money on the other side of the relationship followership? Did you ever go to a followership' conference?"

Building Leadership Relationships

How are these relationships created and sustained to deliver successful leadership? Among the approaches suggested by Useem and Berg:

• Mobilize your organization with a persuasive vision and strategy, and clearly communicate your strategic intent: Useem recalled the speech to Lotus employees by IBM CEO Lou Gerstner when Big Blue acquired the smaller software company. In the speech, Gerstner laid out his vision for the company in meeting customer needs and gave honor to the employees. He also demonstrated his character and humor. During a question and answer session after the presentation, an employee challenged the button-down IBM culture by asking if Gerstner would wear a woman's dress to their annual company party. "For a few seconds, he stood like a deer in the headlights. Then he said, If you deliver 20-percent growth, I'll wear anything you like.' Say it so it sticks," said Useem. "Offer vision and strategy and give honor to the vision, so they don't forget what was said."
• Recognize that leadership is relational: Berg noted that early studies of leadership characteristics found that U.S. leaders were primarily white, male, tall, and with military experience. It was the wrong question. This is not a theory of leadership but a description of the qualities of leaders at the time. "I don't think it is possible to be successful as a leader in any organization if you just stick with looking at the personal characteristics of leadership," he said. "Leadership is relational. We need to get out of the brain rut that certain characteristics adhere to the leader. There is a relationship between the leader and follower. Leaders might have blind spots. There are certain things they cannot see. The follower's role is to see the things the leaders cannot see." Berg urged AMP participants to ask themselves: What does a leader need to do to create a strong relationship with an exemplary follower?
• Build leadership and teamwork now to anticipate challenges ahead: Useem offered the negative example of Wagner Dodge who led a band of smoke jumpers to one of the worst disasters in forest fire fighting history in August 1949. Because he failed to communicate and build teamwork earlier in the day, when Dodge called to men to enter the burnt circle of an escape fire that could have saved their lives, they didn't follow him. They rushed past and 13 men were killed in the raging fire. "Dodge never communicated," Useem said. "If we don't talk the vision, some people will begin to wonder, is there a strategy? When he really needed it, his leadership failed him terribly. A great time to build your leadership and your team is now, before you need it later on."

The Value of a CEO

The perceived effectiveness of a CEO can add or detract significantly from the value of a firm. When John Walter was appointed President of AT&T in October 1996, the company lost $6 billion in market capitalization within 5 trading days. On the other hand, when James McNerney, Jr., was appointed CEO of 3M in December 2000, the stock gained $3 billion in 5 days.

Leaders count now more than ever. A study of 48 Fortune 500 firms found that the leadership capabilities of the CEO made the greatest difference in performance when the firm faces an uncertain and fast-changing environment. "In uncertain and fast-changing environments, that is when leadership capabilities make the greatest difference," Useem said.

Click Here to learn why Epsen Fuller is known as ^the LEADERSHIP SOLUTION

Body-Language Tactics That Sway Interviewers
Posture, eye contact, and other nonverbal communication can speak volumes about your feelings and attitudes. Here's how to impress hiring managers with mannerisms that project confidence and enthusiasm.

Before a job interview, do you peruse magazines or review prepared notes? When the meeting begins, do you wait to be told where to sit or choose your own chair? And do you give passionately expressive or carefully controlled responses?

In each of these instances, your body language speaks volumes about how you'd perform at a company. In fact, some experts say nonverbal cues are more important than verbal ones. According to these studies, body language comprises 55% of the force of any response, whereas the verbal content only provides 7%, and "paralanguage," or the intonation, pauses and sighs given when answering, represents 38% of the emphasis.

Berthe De Vos, Senior Consultant with executive search firm Epsen Fuller & Associates, says body language is so important that it frequently torpedoes what we say.  Click Here for More and to learn about our Human Capital Valuation System^SM
 

Hire an all-around athlete - the game can change tomorrow.
Organizational structures used to be static, jobs rigid, and work organized around functions such as marketing, finance, and manufacturing. Today, structures are fluid, jobs change constantly, and work is likely to be organized around roles and processes. The job you hire someone for today may not be there tomorrow, so consider hiring a tri-athlete, not a marathoner. You will still need people with specialized skills, but if you screen for candidates who have a strong desire to learn, are flexible, and have a wider range of experience, you'll increase your long-term options. For example, you might be able to turn a good finance executive who has a natural bent for operations and the ability to see the business implications of finance decisions into a first-rate operations executive who can drive cost down without cannibalizing the organizations ability to compete in the marketplace.

People Discipline 1.	When in doubt, dont hire keep looking.
People Discipline 2.	When you need to make a people change, act.
People Discipline 3.	Put your best people on your biggest opportunities, not your biggest problems.

Epsen, Fuller & Associates Expands
ANNOUNCES TWO NEW ASSOCIATES                                                 

Epsen Fuller & Associates is pleased to announce the addition of two new associates.  Berthe De Vos joins Epsen Fuller & Associates as a Senior Consultant with an outstanding background in executive search having executed senior level assignments for international clients in the financial services, consumer products, and pharmaceutical industries. 

Holding a law degree from the University of Brussels and a Member of the Bar in Belgium, Berthe moved into human resource management with American Medical International and was later a senior search consultant for Dayak SA TranSearch and Luce Mottier SA, both in Switzerland. 

Skilled in assessing client needs and achieving optimal client-candidate fit, she has established herself as an international Executive Recruiting Consultant with a broad international network and a particular expertise in serving multinational clients. 

Allison Foullois joins the firm as the Marketing and Administrative Manager, a newly created position, in which she will be responsible for all marketing, public relations and operations management.  Prior to joining Epsen Fuller & Associates, she held various marketing positions at Phillips-Van Heusen and was Manager, Marketing Communications for the Van Heusen retail stores.

These additions to our team will further strengthen Epsen Fullers capabilities to serve clients both in the US and abroad, says General Managing Partner Thomas J. Fuller. 

Berthe can be reached at 973-359-9929, x303, bdevos@epsenfuller.com.

Allison can be reached at 973-359-9929 x305, allison@epsenfuller.com.