Managers and leaders should take note of US President-elect Barack Obama's choice of Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff and appoint people who have different strengths to their own, writes John Baldoni for Harvard Business Online's BusinessWeek.
Baldoni points out that while Obama exhibits cool and calm, Emanuel is brash, bold and abrasive, with fire and passion backed by relentless drive.
Obama's choice is a prime example of the need for leaders and managers to surround themselves with people who complement their style rather than replicate it.
Baldoni argues that a leader needs a right-hand man to control access to the man in charge. A manager's 'chief of staff' can grant access as a means of influencing outcomes - if you play the game, you see the boss but if you don't, you are frozen out.
Also, the boss needs a senior figure who can 'crack the whip' and cut through bureaucracy so initiatives can be completed according to deadlines and budgets.
What's more, a right-hand man can keep their eyes open and ears to ground to find out what the leader doesn't know and then have the guts to tell the boss how it is. Baldoni asserts that a chief of staff who can stand up to the boss is a key asset to an organisation.
Do You Have a Rahm Emanuel on Your Staff?
John Baldoni, Business Week, Harvard Business Online, 11/11/08
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