Former Lockheed Martin CEO tells what it takes to lead

"Managers do things right; leaders do the right things," says Norman Augustine during Princeton University address

By: Alex Gennis
   A great leader is someone who can create an environment where those around him or her can excel at what they do best, Norman Augustine, the former CEO and chairman of aerospace company Lockheed Martin Corp., said in a recent talk at Princeton University’s Friend Center.
   "(Being a great leader) is the art of getting someone else to do something that you want done because he wants to do it," said Mr. Augustine, the winner of the National Medal in Technology in 1997, quoting former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. "You have to find quality people, tell them what you want and get out of the way."
   Mr. Augustine, who has studied great leaders and has interacted with many of them, compiled a list of 12 common traits that all great leaders seemed to share. These traits best come out when a leader is put into a difficult situation or a time of crisis, he explained.
   "There is a Swedish proverb that says, ‘In calm waters every ship has a good captain,’" Mr. Augustine added. "You don’t know a good leader before you are in a storm."
   A person’s moral character is one of the most important components of leadership, Mr. Augustine said. He cited Johnson & Johnson’s recall of all Tylenol containers in the U.S. following a poison scare as an example of an ethical decision that caused substantial losses in profits in the short run but was the right decision overall.
   "Managers do things right; leaders do the right things," Mr. Augustine explained. "But doing the right thing often produces a bad outcome in the short term."
   Selflessness and teamwork are two other key aspects of great leaders, Mr. Augustine said. A great leader has to be trusted by those around him, he added.
   "Good leaders are always thinking of their troops," Mr. Augustine explained. "The reward of command is the opportunity to lead, not to have a bigger tent."
   In fact, hubris and losing touch with the rest of your team often ruin leaders, he said.
   Decisiveness is also a key characteristic, although too much of it can be dangerous, Mr. Augustine said.
   During his career, Mr. Augustine had to fire two Fortune 500 CEOs.
   "One could not pull the trigger. The other was too ready to fire at anyone," he explained. "Both are disastrous. You need a judgment somewhere in the middle."
   While a leader always has to exercise good judgment, a good leader must also have the ability to take risks, Mr. Augustine said.
   "Leaders are often called upon to take risk and, if you want to build great edifices, you probably need to take risks," he explained. "But you should also prepare for the unexpected."
   Mr. Augustine also talked about the enormous power a leader wields and the responsibility that comes with that power. One man or woman can lead an organization to success or to great failure, he explained.
   He stressed ethics as a key determinant of the long-term success of an organization.
   "There is only one failure in business and life that you can’t recover from, and that is an ethical failure," Mr. Augustine said.
   Mr. Augustine left the aspiring leaders of Princeton with an optimistic outlook on their future careers by underscoring the role of firsthand experience and determination in becoming a great leader.
   "I’m not sure if leadership can be taught in a classroom but it can be learned by being immersed into situations where you have to lead," Mr. Augustine explained. "Motivation will almost always beat sheer talent."