"Nothing I do will have a more enduring impact on P&G's long-term success
than helping to develop other leaders."

- A.G. Lafley

I wonder how many marketing leaders think – really think – about the positive effect they can have on those who are the keys to the success or failure of their team.

Have you ever had a boss who was an inspirational leader? I mean a leader who saw the best in you, set the bar high, invested themselves in your development and inspired you to work harder than ever to accomplish great things. I have, and I felt very fortunate. Some of my greatest accomplishments – the reference points in my professional life – can be traced back to the positive influence that exceptional person had on me.

On the flip side, have you worked for someone who believed in managing through intimidation, and keeping people constantly off-balance? So have I. Even if this approach resulted in acceptable short-term results for that boss, I’m certain that it didn’t inspire you, or anyone, to go the extra mile. In fact, you probably felt strongly that you didn’t deserve to be treated that way and thought about leaving your team.

Of course, as a recruiter, I have always benefited from the short-sighted style of people who believe in managing tough. For obvious reasons, their direct reports are usually pretty easy to recruit, and, frankly, I feel great about helping them to move on from a bad situation.

But, recruiters are also keenly aware of something else. We know that people who work for exceptional bosses tend to be quite loyal to them - and barring some unusually compelling circumstance, they seldom seriously entertain outside opportunities.

Take it from someone whose business success depends on understanding the career motivations of marketing professionals: If you constantly strive to see the best in each member of your team, let them know that you believe in them, invest time in their development, and inspire them to set the bar high – you’ll probably keep them happy and achieving great things for you. Your reputation as an exceptional leader will also become a magnet that attracts more marketing superstars to work for you. If you're in this game for the long haul, that's something worth pondering.

Lahey Consulting is a specialized search firm. We recruit and place brand management and marketing professionals (from associate brand manager to executive level) within consumer products companies throughout the United States. Lahey Consulting, LLC P.O. Box 395 Delmar, NY 12054-0395 www.laheyconsulting.com info@laheyconsulting.com Voice: 518-439-4285 Fax: 518-439-5795 Copyright © 2006 Lahey Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved. (However, you may reproduce this article if you include this copyright information and our web site address: www.laheyconsulting.com)