Burning Question

I’ve been asked many, many times, “why go through all the work to get a PhD”? After all, I am a successful executive (I think) and I have had tons of opportunities to try out different disciplines and business areas. So why did I do it? As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a burning question. What does it take to be a successful executive?

Of course, I know that answer from my own experiences and activities. And I spend a significant amount of time reading --- business press, books, blogs, etc. But when I tried to explain to others (mentees, mostly), I couldn’t really pinpoint for them what would make them successful in their particular situations. I realized that some more detailed research would be in order. And, for me, the way to accomplish this was the structure of a PhD program.

What led me to this question? Well, let’s face it, executive training in most companies is scant or non-existent.

When you are promoted from non-management to a first-level manager, most companies are pretty good at providing training. Granted, it is mostly targeted at the new tools and processes that you, as a manager, will be expected to us. But there is usually some training to help ease your transition from non-management to management.

And then when you are promoted to middle-management, there is usually some additional training. It is often in the form of helping you to move from thinking tactically to thinking strategically…. Perhaps to show you how to think on a more global basis. For example, as a first-level manager, you are thinking about the tactics and processes to help your small organization be more efficient. As a middle-manager, your training would often help you broaden your thinking. So that you are looking at how your entire department fits within the larger company. And even perhaps, how your department fits within the larger business environment.

But let’s face it, when you finally earn the keys to the proverbial executive washroom, the only information you are likely to get is how wonderful the bonus package can be. Where is the training that helps you make the transition from an often inward focused middle management job to the mostly outwardly-focused executive position?

In most companies, we simply flounder around until we find our way as an executive. This usually takes the form of doing what we have always done, and hoping for the best.

My burning question drove me to wonder why we can’t help our middle managers make the transition easier --- ensuring that they become the successful executives that our companies need. And in order to figure out how to help middle managers make that transition, I realized that I needed to get back to basics. In order words, I needed to learn what are the skills and traits of a successful executive.

So what? In future posts, I’ll tell you about the background of the research, the research itself, and the resulting Executive Skills and Traits model.

Cheers!