Brian Manning

Keys to effective Leadership

Effective leadership is inspiring people to committo personal development and growth aligned with goals of the organization. Thekey ingredients are:

·        Astute personal and business vision

·        Unmatched success, credibility and experience inthe relevant field of business (thisdoes not mean that they have not failed, it means they have demonstrated how torecover)

·        Being a good listener

·        Respect professionals for what they are and nothave preconceived notions about them

·        Having the ability to make the right decision atthe right time

Thoughts on consistent leadership performance 

Consistent leadership performance is mix of pragmatism, vision andadaptability in face of uncertainty. In an organization, it is the capacity to endure and successfully meetingthe needs of multiple stakeholders. In business it is the responsiblemanagement of talent resources, and an organizational mindset that doesntsacrifice long-term competitiveness for short-term gains.

 Unique way to motivate

I am motivated by our customer’ssuccess.

I go by ensuring what works best for the enterpriseand I believe this works best for the employees also. My view is that eachperson brings with him or her certain expertise, that is why they are hired inthe first place, and professionals should be allowed to function in theirnatural style to the benefit of the enterprise. Having said that, they should be provided with purpose, direction andautonomy which is where leadership step in.

Evolution of your leadership role

Consistently I have spent a significant amountof time coaching teams to understand the client’s and organizations point ofview, but in recent years I find I am spending more time mentoring individualsthan I did earlier in my caree.

Being a leader: Ensure to take Right Decisions

Its not so much about connecting the rightdots, so to say, but understanding and prioritizing the dots in a way thatyields what you are aiming for. In the process, mistakes are inevitable but itis resilience,strength, ability that make an effective leader.

Role model

I find I have a collection of rolemodels from which I select the best from. For example Steve Jobs inspires me in terms of commitment to one’spersonal vision, but I look to the examples of Level 5 leadership in the bookGood to Great in terms of listening skills and respect for others.

Valuable work lesson

Toapproach every task with confidence, you don’t know how to do everything aheadof you, but you must be confident you will find a way.

Achievement
Parenthood, my two children and how they areleaders.

Future forecast

I see CSCestablishing itself as the premier global business solutions company. While wedelivery and support large technology implementations, our focus is on businesssolutions that make our customers successful

Macroeconomic variable

Debt.  At all levels debt constrains our choices aswe go forward.

One good way to foster innovation

Encouragingrapid failure as an ongoing process. There is tremendous pressure on theorganizations to continuously innovate as they strive to stay globallycompetent, however it is only few who turn the innovation into workplacereality because they allow their employees to learn from failure.

 At CSC, we have Leading Edge Forum (LEF), a forum where bright minds across the organization interchange ideas and  come up new visions of the future. We have tools like C3 (jive based social platform) that create diverse teams and encourage people to communicate. It helps employee broaden their perspectives – a key requirement for innovation. We believe that innovation does not follow a thumb rule and does not fit into fixed templates. To this underlying fact we consistently aim to bring in the culture of innovation which is organic and creative act. We encourage people to break their silos and communicate freely.

Means to achieve success during adversity

Businesses are operating in a close knitglobal market place, which is extremely dynamic and competitive in nature. Theplaying field is broader and harder to navigate and the stakes are much higher.Equally important is the increasing imperativeness of organizations to beingsustainable and operating responsibly. This reality is challenging. And challenges are the term that Iprefer over adversity. But then, leading in a global marketplace is no meanfeat! Leadership is the driving force of any organization. In the era of globalvillage, leadership skills may catapult the success trajectory of theorganization or lack of it can be consequential. Using the diversity to produceand attain long term goals, strategically incorporating both organization’svision of goals and success of employees and be able to navigate throughuncertainty and complexity is what CSC is made up of.  On this foundation,we rest our laurels.

 If  get a chance to go back and change something

A stronger focus on my personal work/life balance, especially in terms of physical health and learning beyond technology and business.

Thoughts on leadership and management

Leadership and Managementare two diverse terms. “All managers perceived as leaders, they often arenot”  Both are mandatory for the goodhealth success of the organization. Leadership is the driving force of any organization.In the era of global village, pre-requisite of Global leader may catapult thesuccess trajectory of the organization or lack of it can be consequential. AtCSC, one of our prime focus areas is Leadership Development. Our TalentManagement Initiatives equip our managers to play a competitive role in orderto drive a high performance culture. We encourage an atmosphere of continuouslearning, guided by ongoing development discussions that explore employeeaspirations.