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Date Posted: 19:19:49 09/02/04 Thu
Author: schwabra
Author Host/IP: dialup-4.225.151.130.Dial1.Cincinnati1.Level3.net / 4.225.151.130
Subject: Jewish Management

1. The Winning Team Pulls Together

THEY FIGHT AS ONE

Napoleon's early successes in the Franco-Russian War put Jewish leaders in a delicate position. Some rabbis living under the oppression of the Czar's rule welcomed Napoleon as a savior, but others worried that the French Enlightenment would undermine the rock-solid commitment of Russian Jews to their faith. Most rabbis adopted a policy of neutrality, waiting to see which side would emerge victorious.

As Napoleon's army swept through Russia, a French general who stopped in the town of Volozhin requested a meeting with the famous Rabbi Haim of Volozhin, known far and wide among both Jews and Gentiles for his wisdom in worldly affairs. Rabbi Haim was reluctant to be drawn into a political discussion, but as an invitation from an occupying general could not be declined, Rabbi Haim went to the general's headquarters.

The two men discussed various religious matters and each was impressed with the other's erudition. Finally, the general asked Rabbi Haim, "You have a reputation for wisdom in worldly matters. Do you think the French army will defeat the Russians? Please tell me the truth."

"If it is the truth you seek," replied Rabbi Haim, "then I must tell you that I believe the Russians will win the war."

"I appreciate your honesty, Rabbi," said the general. "But as a military man, I assure you that the French forces have far superior training and equipment. Our army is made up of the finest soldiers in the French Empire. The Russian army is a ragtag band of untrained peasants."

"With your permission, I will tell you an incident that I witnessed when I was a boy," said Rabbi Haim.

"A baron's luxurious coach drawn by four powerful thoroughbred stallions sunk mired in a swamp. The coachman whipped the steeds furiously, but no matter how the horses labored, the coach did not budge.

"At that moment, a local farmer happened by in a simple wagon pulled by two nags. To the baron's surprise, the farmer maneuvered his wagon around the coach and through to the other side of the swamp.

"'Stop," shouted the baron to the farmer. 'Please tell me, where did you get such remarkable horses that can traverse this mud with ease?'

"The farmer laughed. 'Your Lordship, there is nothing remarkable about my nags. Your pedigreed horses are far more valuable than mine, and that is precisely your problem. Each of your horses wishes to prove to the others that it is the strongest. So, when one horse pulls, the other horses do nothing, because they do not wish to help the other horse succeed. My poor nags may have no pedigree, but they grew up together and when they pull the wagon it is a joint endeavor.'

"With all due respect, General," continued Rabbi Haim, "I believe this is the problem of your army. Your soldiers are well trained and have excellent pedigrees, but they come from diverse backgrounds and each soldier fights strictly for his own glory. Not so the Russian army. They are all one nationality, and each member fights for a common cause -- their homeland. They fight as one. This is why I believe that the Russian army will win the war."

The ensuing years proved Rabbi Haim's assessment to be correct.

The winning team may not be pedigreed -- but it pulls together.

Rabbi Haim knows what it takes to build a winning team. A group rarely fails due to a lack of talent. Often there is too much of the same kind of talent, but not enough cooperation among the team members.

Staffing your team with superstar individual performers is not the formula for success. A productive team pulls together because each member truly wants the other to succeed, and is willing to help in any way possible.

* * *

I once took over a team of 12 engineers whose previous manager had supervised all 12 of them directly, but had promised each and every one a promotion to group leader. I devoted my first day on the job to meeting with each engineer individually.

Irene, a senior team member, spent her hour describing the failings of her colleague, Stan. I left the meeting convinced that, despite her seniority and technical expertise, I could not, in good conscience, allow her to manage a junior engineer.

My next talk, with Stan, was more of the same. He related anecdotes about Irene's failings as an engineer and as a human being. He boasted of the technical problems he had solved single-handedly. I walked away convinced that he was an important individual contributor, but I saw in him more ego than management skills.

Next up was Mary, a junior engineer. I asked her to tell me about an accomplishment she was proud of. She told me about how she had successfully absorbed a new member into the team and brought him up to speed. Although Mary was not the top expert on the company's products, she was competent and enjoyed mentoring and sharing information.

That evening, mulling over these discussions, I tried to formulate what I was looking for in a group leader. It wasn't superlative engineering skills, although technical competence was a must. I decided on a rule of thumb: a group leader must be someone who enjoys building people up rather than tearing them down. That's the kind of person I want to manage me, and that's the kind of manager I trust to mentor a new employee.

A couple of weeks later, Irene was flattered when her previous boss asked her to join him in Sales, and Stan was pleased when I promoted him to Chief Technology Officer for the group with solo responsibility for solving thorny problems. With the way clear now, I promoted Mary to group leader, a role she performed with great success.

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