We're approaching another U.S. presidential election and there's a lot of talk in the air about leadership. I've always been a student of leadership and been fascinated by what makes a good leader. You get as many different opinions on this as you will on what a good steak should taste like and how it should be cooked.
To me, the most fascinating leader of our century, at least in the 20th century, was Dwight Eisenhower. Here was a guy who was very bright, smart and experienced, but he had great human qualities. He really knew how to get the best out of his people and he knew how to make big egos work together. When you think of all the people that surrounded him in the Second World War-with Churchill, Roosevelt, General Marshall, General Patton, General Montgomery, General Bradley-he was surrounded by people that were difficult. And, of course, Charles de Gaulle was probably most difficult of all.
Eisenhower handled them beautifully and was able to get them all to work together. I think it was because he reached out to them and let them know they were important, and he let them know that their opinion was important to him. So he got them to talk about what their concerns were and he listened - he was a wonderful listener. He pulled out of them their ego, he brought them down to his level and they were able to talk through the problems of the war, create solutions and move on and get the job done.
Leadership is all about results. How do you get results from people? Through motivating, through inspiring, through getting them to work together, play together and be friends, and at the same time, work toward a common goal. We won the Second World War and Eisenhower had a big part in that. I hope that my leadership skills can someday come close to his.
This is Bill Marriott and thank you for helping me keep Marriott on the move.
great site!
Posted by: me | 10/08/2007 at 04:05 PM
Mr Marriott,
I am a platinum member with your hotel and it saddens me to learn that you have closed 2 more of your reservation centers in the USA. I learned this from an agent at your Salt Lake office. It also saddens me to learn that you are sending those calls to another country. Why would I want to talk to someone about a hotel in the USA if they are not even in the USA. I don't think I want to stay at your hotels anymore and I am going to cancel my Rewards number.
Posted by: Katie F | 08/29/2007 at 12:59 AM
Thanks for the comments, Bill. It's interesting to hear what the leader of such a prominent company aims for when developing his/her own leadership style. I would definitely agree with most of what you said, but I don't think leadership is ALL about results. It's true that this is an important aspect, but to me, someone who believes their job is all about results could never claim to be truly concerned with other things such as employees' well-being. That is, of course, unless you consider employees' well-being a result in itself.
Posted by: William | 08/28/2007 at 07:51 AM
Mr. Marriott, Your views on leadership are highly interesting.
Kishore Dharmarajan
Author of Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers
Posted by: Kishore Dharmarajan | 08/28/2007 at 04:26 AM
Hey Mike (previous poster). If you think Mitt is so wonderful and that he will make a great president of our country, you obviously don't live in Boston, MA!
Posted by: Jo Ann | 08/28/2007 at 01:31 AM
Mr. Marriott, I have also been fascinated by what makes a good leader and there is no question that a great leader possess great (positive) human qualities as a foundation to successfully lead. I have always believed that it was the very essence of a good leader. Although I once pondered the ability of any Company or Organization to teach or instill these positive human qualities that I believed was more of an inherent quality, your Marriott Team showed me differently over the years. The Marriott dedication to training and a sincere culture of family by all Associates made those great human qualities a Golden Rule for all Associates. Good leaders with a great team makes Marriott a great place to work! I know, I retired a year ago as a Marriott Associate after 20 years and Marriott has more then earned my sincere loyalty and respect. Bill Lake
Posted by: Bill Lake | 08/27/2007 at 02:44 AM
I Do Say that Our Bogyoke Aung San is the one who was memorable untail now for his deep effort for independance.
Posted by: saytanarshin | 08/26/2007 at 09:28 PM
Like you, I'm fascinated by extraordinary leadership. And, one key element that you touched on which resonates in all great leadership is that they are great listeners. Enjoyed this blog very much. Thank you.
Posted by: Pauletta Kaufman - RCHC | 08/25/2007 at 06:16 AM
Bill - I appreciate your point of view. Dwight Eisenhower was one of the greatest people of the 20th century. The greatest - I believe was Winston Churchill. He had to step in to run a government in a time of crisis. He had to convince the US and FDR that we had a stake in this war and he had to be patient enough to let US public opinion to sway toward Great Britain. I belive Churchill was the greatest person of the entire 20th century!
Posted by: Tom Tyler | 08/24/2007 at 06:08 PM
Ah, let the political campaigns roll lol.
I think we look to to leaders in times of war because it is most commonly those leaders who must not only be willing to literally lay their lives down for a cause but the lives of their friends as well. It is a unique burden that wartime heroes must carry and a burden that often causes them to stand out. It does not make them greater people than other leaders such as the women previously listed, but it does usually create a more drastic immediate affect caused by their decisions and those same decisions are felt through the world for generations to come.
As for politics, I say for established politicians we should look at their voting records to discover what they mean instead of what they say. For those not established in the realm of Washington we should listen intently, not to the words they speak but rather what they say. More truth can be found in the body language, in the conduct of a person than their words. Words are cheap and tools that are often misused. Walk softly and carry a big stick. is a phrase that is appropriate in so many more ways than one. Politicians talk too much. Frankly so do I. I almost never swear. But when I do it lets people know I am dead serious and as a result it gets results. If politicians would talk less and act more then when they did speak it would mean more to us. We should be looking for a candidate that shows that perhaps they understand this (though by no means should it be the only criteria).
Posted by: Jared | 08/24/2007 at 01:09 PM
Speaking of women......Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is the ultimate leader!!!!!
Posted by: Charles Rainey | 08/23/2007 at 10:53 AM
It is so rare to see the names of women in lists of leaders. Why is that? I think about Margaret Sanger, Barbara Jordan, Rosa Parks, Golda Meier, Sarah Weddington, Indira Ghandi, and others who lead in styles different from the men from WWII. We so often look to situations of war for leaders. It is time to look at the arenas of peace and social justice for the leaders who will take us forward.
Posted by: Joan Eisenstodt | 08/23/2007 at 06:24 AM
I think Mitt Romney is another Eisenhower, Reagan, or Churchill et al. I hope the American people, Democrats, Repulicans, and Independents realize how important this next election is and do the right thing by electing Mitt Romney. He has had a very successful track record thus far and surely he will as our next President.
And the media, and others that are using his religion aganist him is utterly rediculous. We are NOT electing a Sunday school teacher, but a leader of the number one country in the world.
Posted by: Mike | 08/23/2007 at 04:06 AM