History has fangs that can either refine the present or rob of it of the future. Just as placing the correct and perfect emperor is of utter importance, determining the perfect Executives in a company pretty much relays the same idea: hiring the perfectly matched person for the role. As a leader in executive search, we should take a look at which made or broke history, what made them flourish and fall, and then determine which qualities and traits to follow and to avoid. Let us look into these three top three moments in history to refine our preferences as executive headhunters.
EMPEROR ODA NOBUNAGA – UNITY IN A COMPANY
Oda Nobunaga was a powerful Daimyō of Japan in the late 16th century who attempted to unify Japan during the late Sengoku period. Nobunaga is regarded as one of three unifiers of Japan along with his retainers Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He did not only lay the path to a unified Japan, he also fought to bring down much of the resistance that he faced. He overthrew the Ashikaga (or Muromachi) shogunate and ended a long period of feudal wars. By the time of his death, Nobunaga had succeeded in bringing nearly half of the provinces of Japan under his control.
(https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oda-Nobunaga)
How does this piece of history help refine our executive search?
Having different departments in a company is sure to create some kind of animosity; each with its own ideas, goals, mission, and vision, and most importantly, people. These are the perfect ingredients for discord and mayhem. However, as different departments of a company exist, it still means they are a part of one. An executive should be able to rally these departments and divisions into working together as one unit, like a single organism, inspire them and lead them, be an example to them and direct the company to achieve not only its own targets and goals, but also giving the individual employees chance to let themselves grow as a part of the company and as a person. Executives may have different styles of approach to this; Vigilance and Compassion, Reward and Punishment, and so much more. The perfect leader knows how to balance the hot and the cold to achieve the perfect mix and make a company grow together as a unified environment, driven and inspired to achieve a common goal.
MAO ZEDONG AND THE GREAT CHINESE FAMINE – BAD AND GOOD DECISION MAKING
This is a happening we must not try to recreate. This incident was the brainchild of great advancement in the technology called “The Great Leap Forward”. Also called the “Three Years of Natural Disasters”, it was a decision based on a great idea that was not carefully planned. It happened between 1959 and 1961 where the drought, the weather, and the decisions of the political leaders of China actually brought about more than 15 million deaths of its own people. Farms were controlled by the government and the priority went over to the production of steel and iron, forcing many farmers to become steel and iron makers. Due to this, the food production drastically went down and people died saying “Chairman Mao, Save Us”.
How does this piece of history help refine our executive search?
We must look for leaders that know how to reach a certain goal without compromising much for the sake its own people. We must look for executives that can determine whether a decision can be good or bad for a company. The goal is something a company or a group must achieve based on how it works. Achieving it with the incorrect decisions will make an executive look incapable and basically become a “boss” rather than a “leader”. There have been many blogs and posts about how those two almost synonymous words are entirely different. We must then follow the leaders who made good decisions and made those on behalf of the good future of its people.
MAHATMA GANDHI – LISTEN AND PROSPER
A little empathy goes a long way and this was a great trait shown by a person being torn apart by war. Mahatma Gandhi studied and advocated India’s civil rights both at home and in South Africa. He formed the Natal Indian Congress to fight discrimination against Indians and he was mainly responsible for India being left alone by its conqueror, the British. This was composed mainly of fasting and non-violent acts. Moved by the people’s anguish and pain, Mahatma would take actions not only for the benefit of himself but for the benefit of whole India thus inspiring the whole world to listen to those who are oppressed, to listen to the pleading of those under the visible line of progress. Some say that Mahatma could end things with a single gunshot, a single blow in the head with the people he’s had arguments with but his empathy remained, seeing and feeling the emotions of those whom he has encountered, he cannot bear to deliver pain and anguish will trying to extinguish it. Though he was assassinated by his own extremist follower (Mahatma tolerated Muslims despite the fact that Hindus and Muslims are fiercely divided in India), Mahatma had made the world see that there is another way of seeing the world and that is through the eyes of other people, representing the idea of putting yourself in another’s shoes in the best way possible.
How does this piece of history help refine our executive search?
Executive search can be tough. Many people have the skills, the knowledge, the effort, and the traits and so on to be fit for a basic job description. They may even surpass these requirements to be deemed fit and perfect for the job. However, there comes a factor which we cannot erase, empathy. How does he listen to his people? How does he interact with the company? It’s true that leaders must be firm in their decisions and their acts, however, seeing through the eyes of their own co-employees may even give them the insight they may need for a breakthrough. No one can resist a professional yet comfortable environment. This is where the question of compassion and camaraderie comes into play. It’s easy to achieve goals with skilled and gifted people but the achievement is much sweeter when you have the people who cared about the goal and not just the pay for the job. Google, as a company, shows this best as they not only understand the need for its workers but actually gives them what they need. Result: skyrocketing success. Again, how to achieve this? Listen and understand your people and everything shall come naturally.
The help of an understanding leader, great decision-making made at the best possible time, and the ears that can hear and understand the company well are some of the traits needed to flourish. Let’s learn from history and get Executives with these traits to lead companies. It will then be easier for us to see more progressive companies in the future and with it, the happy faces of people around us.
“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd,” – Max Lucado
Photo Credits:
http://www.utoledo.edu/al/history/
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/oda-nobunaga-demon-daimyo-unified-japan.html
http://alphahistroy.com/chineserevolution/great-chinese-famine