Great bosses are not larger than life

By Shirleen Holt
Seattle Times business reporter

If there’s such a thing as a stereotypical "great boss," Michael Feiner wouldn’t be the first to come to mind. The former PepsiCo executive lacks the sentiment of Herb Kelleher, the beloved former chief of Southwest Airlines. He lacks the goofy humor of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.

A slender man with disciplined posture, Feiner has a sternness that tells people "approach cautiously." Yet for many of those who worked for him during his 20 years at PepsiCo, where he headed the personnel office, or who took his tough but popular management class at Columbia Business School, he’s the boss they want to emulate: fair, straightforward, ethical, demanding yet compassionate.

"Mike has probably had more influence on shaping me as a professional and as an adult than probably any other single individual," says Dave Pace, Starbucks’ human-resources chief who worked at Pepsi for 18 years.

"He was about values. He was about standards and he was about leading by example."

Feiner’s proteges have gone on to head the HR departments at Dell, Microsoft and Sears. Harvard Business Review has published his advice. His new book, "The Feiner Points of Leadership," has landed on suggested reading lists for CEOs.

His message: A great boss doesn’t need a larger-than-life persona, and leadership isn’t composed of heroic gestures and brilliant insights.

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Bad boss, bad boss

Here’s yet another reason to treat employees well: The office water cooler now has a broadcast function. A Houston research company that conducts employee surveys, The Business Research Lab, collects stories about bosses and posts them on the Internet. Anything sound familiar?

The abusive boss. One boss at a real-estate firm called a subordinate a "fat cow." And when another employee brought him a sandwich with onions, he "picked up the sandwich to hurl it at my head."

The crooked boss. "He would also go through the other lawyers’ offices after they had left, and then mirror a ‘meeting’ on his timesheet to coincide with some work they had done, thus falsifying the billing."

The insensitive boss. When an office worker asked for time off to be with her dying grandmother, her boss replied, "Well, she’s not dead yet, so I don’t have to grant your leave."

The sneaky boss. "He would listen in on my phone calls (all business) by hiding behind a pillar in the office."

The tyrannical boss. After working 13-hour days to meet a deadline, one employee was caught outside during his break reading a book. "The next day we received an e-mailed memo from the president stating that there was to be ‘no reading of personal matter while on breaks.’ "

The jealous boss. The more a competent office worker accomplished, the more her boss berated her. One day she feigned helplessness, asking her boss how to solve a problem. "The yelling ceased and he started smiling and I was his new best friend."

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Rather, it’s the unglamorous and old-fashioned work of building relationships, being committed to employees’ success and holding them accountable.

"When people think of great leaders they think of visible leaders," Feiner said during a stop in Seattle. "Ninety percent of leadership is hidden below the surface."

Feiner’s laws of leadership, as he calls them, came from witnessing other bosses’ mistakes, as well as his own. He recounts some of his management goofs in his book, but mostly he helps would-be bosses understand how to lead people rather than manage them.

Purpose. Great bosses believe their work, their company’s mission, is important, and they infuse employees with the same passion. Masons aren’t cutting stone, Feiner says, they’re building a cathedral. During his Pepsi days, Feiner was such a devotee he once left a restaurant, family in tow, because it only served Coke.

Expectations. Great bosses create high expectations. Feiner’s notoriously high standards motivated employees such as Dave Pace. "They weren’t uncompromising, unrealistic expectations," Pace says. "They challenged you to be better than you thought you could be."

Personal commitment. Employees respect a boss who cares as much about their success as he does his own. Great bosses demonstrate this by giving their time, advice and attention, an effort that can take up two-thirds of their workday. "To get loyalty," Feiner says, "you must give loyalty."

Intimacy. Great bosses don’t treat everyone the same. They get to know the people who work for them: their hot buttons, their fears, their passion. "To lead your people, you must know your people."

Feedback. Time-consuming, yes, but a gift to employees, Feiner says. Great bosses offer ongoing advice (not just during a performance review) that’s balanced, consistent with expectations and very specific.

Tough love. Weak bosses often avoid tough conversations because they’re uncomfortable. Tough love is as painful to give as it is for the employee to hear, Feiner says, but it’s a demonstration of commitment.

Consequences. Great bosses let employees know what will happen if they fail to improve. This isn’t a threat, but an extension of the boss’s commitment to her employee.

Coaching. Weak bosses complain they’re too busy to teach their employees how to do their jobs. Great bosses understand there will be times when coaching is necessary to help a worker succeed. "Leaders are teachers," Feiner says. "They assume this role willingly, no matter how busy they are."

Accountability. Great bosses not only inspire and encourage, they hold employees as well as themselves accountable for meeting their expectations. Without measuring performance, the other leadership principles are toothless.

For would-be bosses who worry that they lack the charisma, drive or authority to create loyal followers, Feiner offers some extra advice: Don’t try to be something you’re not.

"People respond when they believe the person they’re working for is authentic. People need to feel that they have a connection with someone who’s real — warts and all."

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company