Ethics and Integrity Still Count
The topic of corporate ethics---or, more specifically, the lack thereof---has become such a staple in our daily news diet that we could be forgiven for thinking that corporate greed and dishonesty have replaced hard work and trustworthiness as acceptable American business values. But don't believe it, says Carol Hall, corporate vice president of Work Force Diversity at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
She addressed these values in detail at the 2004 Black Engineer of the Year Conference during a panel discussion on "Leadership and Character."
SAIC is the largest privately held IT company in the U.S., with 93 percent of its stock owned by employees. The company's ethics committee is chaired by a senior vice president, and the organization holds a high-level meeting every year for the specific purpose of discussing leadership issues.
Hall worked in academia and government before joining SAIC, so her approach to leadership and character is both theoretical and practical. The full audio discussion can be heard on the Career Communications Group Web site, www.beya.org
Elements of Character
There are eight key elements of character that are essential to successful leadership, according to Carol Hall: personal integrity, respect for others, humility, emotional mastery, a sense of responsibility, self-confidence, courage, and marketing awareness.
Of these, she says, "The primary element of character is integrity. Without integrity, no leader can be successful. Companies in the news are the exception. That's why they are in the news. They are not the rule."
She went on to say that "Respect means we have empathy for the points-of-view of those we work with. Engineering is collaborative. We must listen with understanding." And humility, she says, means being willing to admit mistakes. Leaders must listen with an open mind.
Emotional mastery is also essential. Leaders must be able to say what they think and "not worry about being liked. Leaders worry about being effective."
Responsibility, another character requirement, carries accountability. This includes holding others accountable for what they do after you delegate to them.
Self-confidence is essential, of course, and leaders should also look self-confident. As she told the audience, "Packaging matters. You must look as if you know what you are doing."
It's also important to believe in what your company is doing, and you must have the courage to stand up for what you believe. Hall says, "You must have the courage to champion unpopular ideas."
Marketing awareness may seem an unusual quality to make this list, but Hall believes it is an essential one. As she says, "You must understand that you are marketing for your company at all times. You are the public face of your company, regardless of your position within the company."
Elements of Leadership
Hall lists seven essential leadership qualities: Entrepreneurship, decisiveness, energy and enthusiasm, team orientation, empathy, charisma, and technical competency.
Leaders are entrepreneurs by nature, she believes, who always look for ways to tackle new tasks. They must also be decisive risk-takers. And since leaders must be able to change with technology and the market, success naturally requires high levels of energy and enthusiasm.
Team orientation is also important, and engineers, like others, work in collaborative environments and share responsibilities for outcomes. Leaders need to be empathetic. They need to understand their teams to get ahead.
But despite team goals, individual charisma still counts, and Hall believes that "We listen to people with passion who believe in themselves and their mission."
And finally, technical competence is essential. Companies hire technical competence, but train in leadership and people skills.
These personal qualities and ethical values still matter in business, Hall asserts, because "the people with character will be today's leaders and tomorrow's leaders."
