Hubert Joly is a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Business School and Best Selling Author of the book ‘The Heart of Business’. He is also the former CEO of BestBuy.
Mr. Joly’s View on the Current Working Environment
Mr. Joly is adamant that the current world function is severely damaged and destructive in every aspect. As a result, the world today faces numerous struggles, with the following being the most pressing ones:
1) Health Crisis
2) Economic Crisis
3) Several Societal Issues
4) Environmental Crisis
5) Geopolitical Tensions
As it is evident, the world is in dire need of an innovative leadership model. Specifically, the executives of the corporate world should comprehend that they cannot operate obsolete practices and expect effective outcomes.
Several companies label the workforce as a means to an end, and Mr. Joly signifies the disruptive effects such a stance derives. Working personnel are always a part of the solution in a company’s struggle, and firing them should be a last resort option.
Contrary to the usual practices, a company should prioritize their employees and invest in their ingenuity and ability to solve a problem as a collective force and with out-of-the-box thinking.
The Differences Between the Old and the New Forms of Leadership
Mr. Joly states that we are in an era of unprecedented struggles, such as inflation and health crisis. Therefore, leaders should not be solely responsible for taking action; they have to learn to delegate tasks efficiently.
They also have to express vulnerability to their teams by sharing their difficulties. The latter is an indispensable trait of a modern leader and has the potential to alter a team’s dynamic in the aspect of productivity.
Mr. Joly provides his definition of leadership by stating that an authentic leader shuns the shallow approach of the majority of companies, which entails greed and shortsighted success.
Authentic leadership is not about being perfect and dogmatic. Instead, a genuine leader opts for a collaborative effort with his team to tackle a problem and creates an idyllic working environment. In this working environment, the employees solely focus on unleashing all their potential and being the best version of themselves.
According to Mr. Joly, the embodiment of the modern leadership model is the CEO of BestBuy. In the wake of the recent pandemic, the CEO of BestBuy reminded the personnel of the company’s mission, which was the safety of employees and customers. The CEO of BestBuy displayed admirable leadership qualities during that struggling period by providing a safe space for the employees in those tumultuous times.
Furthermore, the CEO of BestBuy effectively delegated all the tasks and decisions concerning the municipal, state and federal levels. This example is a proper manifestation of the productivity of an ideal working environment.
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The Origins of the ‘One-Man Show’ Leadership Mode
The ‘One-Man Show’ leadership mode stems from idolizing prolific and gifted historical figures, such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, and Winston Churchill. These iconic individuals managed magnificent feats due to their charismatic personalities and ability to influence thousands of people.
For many years, the model of the influential leader was the status quo, and the majority of the personnel were merely the tools implementing the vision of the undisputed authority.
In the 1960s, Robert McNamara, the former Secretary of Defense and Ford Motor Company president. Such exceptional leaders paved the way for the teachings of the economist Milton Friedman, a staunch supporter of individualism and balancing the books. Avoiding deficits and being in an era devoid of difficulties were the principal causes of maintaining the status quo.
As the years progressed, the way of living became more complex, and severe challenges arose. The time was ripe for a re-evaluation of the qualities of leadership.
For instance, in the past years, the expression of any form of vulnerability was deemed pathetic. This was a typical attribute of an era where the chase for perfection was the sole scope of the corporate world.
Today, the focus of every leader should be to unleash human magic within an organization. The current leadership model encompasses encouraging individuals to bring forth their ingenuities to facilitate the scope of their respective companies.
The Leadership Journey of Mr. Joly
There were four milestones during the professional journey of Mr. Joly that changed his perspective regarding leadership. These were the following:
1) When he worked at McKinsey, he facilitated some monks conducting an article about the Philosophy and Theology of labor. This procedure raised some questions regarding the philosophical framework and the purpose of working.
2) Mr. Joly was one of the executives of the Multimedia Company Vivendi twenty years ago. He was devoid of passion for this lucrative job due to the single mindedness of the other executives for money, fame and glory. After some spiritual healing, he decided to contribute to the public with beneficial deeds.
3) The third pivotal moment for Mr. Joly came with the facilitation of coach Marshall Goldsmith. Mr. Goldsmith facilitated his comprehension of the importance of feedback.
4) The fourth milestone in Mr. Joly’s spiritual journey came when he realized the importance of creating a thriving environment for the employees.
What is a Genuine Vulnerable Leader?
An authentic, vulnerable leader has the following attributes:
1) In times of peril and uncertainty, he/she abides by the company’s initial mission. Even in the darkest hour, a genuinely vulnerable leader never jeopardizes his company’s values for temporary gain.
2) Leaders should have values that reflect their presence and indicate their authentic personalities.
3) Humility, in other words, doing the best without knowing the outcome.
In Wrapping Up
Mr. Joly believes that the idea of pursuing a noble purpose in our lives entails an adequate response to questions such as, “What is my calling in life?”. An organization can find its purpose by answering the following questions:
1) What are the human needs the organization tries to address?
2) Which are the qualities of the organization in terms of aptitude?
3) What is the passion of the people in the organization?
4) How can the organization make a profit?
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Namely is the all-in-one HR solution that makes life easier for your employees, your boss, and you! From onboarding and payroll to time tracking, benefits, employee engagement, and so much more, Namely’s all-in-one integrated HR platform is designed to be used by everyone, every day – whether you have 50 or 500 employees. Build a Better Workplace with Namely. Get a Free Month of unlimited access to Namely at Namely.com/FOW today!
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