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The QB Factor: Developing Leaders
Who Are Effective
in Significant
Change
by Allan Martin, Chief Executive
Officer, Mortgage Contracting Services
Everyone understands the critical
role determination plays in winning when it comes to
sports. Joe Montana bringing home the 1982 NFC
championship over the Cowboys by throwing a pass
with laser-like accuracy to Dwight Clark in the back
of the end zone on the last play of the game (“The
Catch”), to Doug Flutie throwing the touchdown pass
to Gerard Phalen as time expired to beat Miami in
that famous 1984 game, to Kerri Strug bringing home
the 1996 Olympic Gold Medal in gymnastics – though
winning it meant she had to execute her final vault
with an ankle that was so severely sprained she
could put no weight on it and had to be carried off
following her landing. What did these winners all have
in common? Though Strug was not a football player, I
think of these attributes as “quarterbacking skills.”
What are the most critical attributes to select for
and develop in your leaders and your people? As the
CEO of a property preservation company that has
undergone significant changes
recently, “quarterbacking skills” now tops list of
critical attributes I look for and work to develop in
my leaders. By quarterbacking skills, I mean the
ability and grit to:
- Accurately assess what is happening on the
field
- Focus on the play and never ever flinch—though
you can hear the defensive lineman pounding your
way
- Fully engage others and let others make the
play
- Communicate effectively
- Know when you need help, then get it
- Show Grit: Courage and Resilience
The Situation
Mortgage Contracting Services was purchased eight
months ago by a group of management and private
equity investors. Of course, the sale of a business is
almost always disruptive and we encountered the
typical challenges:
- Management and employees were pulled from
their traditional roles into the sales transaction
process so operations felt the impact of that loss of
focus.
- During the ownership transition our people felt
some anxiety about their future, how success would
now be assessed, etc.; our operating and financial
performance regressed briefly as a result.
- Roles and responsibilities shifted, so there were
some internal relationships that required additional
attention and care.
Critical Leadership Skills for Thriving In
Change
Eight months following the ownership change, MCS is
operating effectively. The company’s operating and
financial performance have returned to more
normalized levels. We appear to have persevered
through a period of difficult change and look forward
to our next challenges. Our success is due, in no
small part, to those leaders who consistently
demonstrate these attributes:
(continued)
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