I admit it. I have a leader crush on Arkadi Kuhlmann, the founder and former CEO of ING Direct.
Why? Because he leads with conviction.
- He believes passionately that the banking industry needs to be reinvented.
- So he recruited from outside the industry to infuse the team with fresh ideas and to combat those of grizzled veterans.
- He then painted a white line outside the building’s entrance to remind employees that once they cross it, they are leaving the sleepy world to enter a different kind of place.
- He also posted a sign above the exit for employees to read as they left work that asked: “Did today really matter?”
- And to create accountability, every year he asked employees to vote whether he should serve as CEO for another year.
How can we similarly use our own passion to ignite enthusiasm and engagement?
- Start with a conviction (What belief grounds your commitment to lead?)
- Share that conviction until people own it
- Pepper physical reminders of that conviction around them
- Model that conviction in our behaviors and actions
- Ask people to hold us accountable to that conviction
It takes courage to be a manager. It takes heroism to manage with conviction!