Top leadership transition is often neglected in companies. My key learning from a multinational client of mine is that managing leader transition saves time, effort and money. It also ensures continuity of business results and productivity. Often companies think only the outgoing and the incoming CEOS are changing. They do not realize that in fact the entire management team will be flexing to the new leader, each one emotionally going through their own endings, neutral zone and new beginnings.
Recently, I had the privilege of facilitating the leadership transition at Swedish Match Philippines. One part involves the ritual of saying goodbye to the outgoing Managing Director who was Victor Bocaling and welcoming the incoming Managing Director. As the accolades of Vic were shared through the night he reminded me of the self effacing leader that Jim Collins talks about in his book from Good to Great.
I reviewed the key qualities that Collins talks about and realized how Vic has moved from “good to great”. First, is to get the right people on the bus. Vic invested substantial time interviewing candidates who would form part of his management team ensuring the right person for each position.
Second, he created a climate where truth is heard. Vic confronted the brutal facts and led the company through the difficult times to succeed. His patience and perseverance in working through people issues paid off. Third, he kept things simple, clear about the mission, the values and focus. He pursued with relentless consistency the corporate strategy. Fourth, was to instill a culture of discipline, building a system of freedom and responsibility and practicing passion and commitment. Fifth was his ability to build cumulative momentum, creating alignment for results.
I decided to interview Vic for my own l-earning moments.
- How did you develop your leadership style that combines a strong person orientation and a high performance culture?
I am fortunate to have worked in multilevel packaging development gaining technical expertise at Phimco. At the same time I had very good mentors and role models. One is Mr. Napoleon Nazareno, now President of PLDT and SMART. Poly was a great strategic thinker. Two is Cornelio Mapa, now chairman of SMPI (Swedish Match Philippines Inc.) He had an excellent view when looking at markets.
Both persons emphasized the importance of people in getting things done. Side by side, they asked for excellent performance. It took me many years to understand how to give 100 percent to both. I started working on myself in 1980, it took me for over 10 years to get the balance right.
As a young person they gave me the freedom to commit mistakes. They shared their expectations, gave me deadlines. When I went to consult they asked me questions to think about instead giving me outright the answers.
- Share with me your educational background.
I came from MBA school and engineering school. As you advance in the corporate world you realize that technical competencies are not enough, one has to understand what drives and motivates people. As a Manager I realized the first 3 letters of the word are MAN, the ability to deliver results through people.
- I noted that you have a strong culture of collegiality and solidarity that delivers good results. How did you get to this stage as an organization?
The first guideline to a strong culture is to be consistent. You have to constantly remind people of the corporate mission and core values. As a leader you have to act and deal with people while embodying the core values. People then discover from your example the norms. It is very tempting specially when it is convenient not be consistent. But as a leader you have to resist taking shortcuts.
It is also very important to be integrated as a person. How would I like to treated as a person? At the end of the year I take a day or two to be alone
(I am essentially an introvert but have learned to get out of myself in order to lead well) take stock what we did right, what could we have done better? Were we consistent to our mission and values? Can I look at myself in the mirror and like what I see?
- How did you turn out to be a great manager?
I dont think I am a great manager. I did not aim to be a great manager. I simply want to do my best to accomplish what is required and try to uplift people who work for me.
I continue to read books on people and organizations. The latest book i read is on “the way of the shepherd”. It is about continuously asking: how can I improve more? How can I do more? It is constant self-training.
- How did you MBA schooling at Asian Institute of Management help you?
My first degree was mechanical engineering. AIM helped develop the business side of me and taught me many valuable techniques. My biggest takeaway is learning to deal with different people from different cultures. I realized that even if all my classmates came from Asia, we have cultural differences as Asians, so the need to be sensitive to people of other cultures. At SMPI, I work in a multicultural environment. My training at AIM allowed me moving forward to deal with bosses from different cultural backgrounds.
- Was AIM your first multicultural experience?
No. My first experience (it was also my first trip abroad) was at the age of 13. My father sent me for schooling in a military school in the US at San Rafael, 20 miles from San Francisco. The experience of being away from the family and at an early age, adjusting to a military environment taught me how to cope and I learned how to live with people of different cultures. I was often mistaken to be Mexican but I strove to keep my Filipino identity as i tried to be tolerant of other cultures.
- What do you value as a person?
Actually I am a private person with a high value for family. I am not a socially active person. But it must be my being a Gemini that has allowed me to be flexible, to evolve as a person. Career is important but love for family is a prime value.
I remember the time when the company was undergoing a difficult phase and I missed 3 to 4 years of my son’s growing up years. I tried after to make up for those years being sensitive to their own growth, talent, ambitions and drives. Now are home is almost an empty nest as the children have grown up.
- If you have a high potential executive assistant and you want him to succeed in the company what would you advise?
Three guidelines I will give. One, have clear goals. Two, learn to work with people. Not just through social media but face to face. There is no replacement for human contact. Three know the mission, values and goals of the company, develop strong alignment.
- What was your typical week like at Swedish Match?
My typical week looks like this. 50% of my time is taken up dealing with direct reports, corresponding with superiors outside of the country and talking with customers. I focus on people issues 40 per cent of the time. 10 to 15 per cent i spend aligning and reflecting, this is because I have good people working with me.
- What will life be after Swedish Match? What is still unlived in your life?
I want to support advocacies related to education. Our relatives have a university in Bicol, I wish to contribute more, give quality education. I want to go to the province to uplift this educational institution in whatever capacity possible.
I want to enjoy my family life so I will keep weekends free, go outside to the beach, spend time helping out in parish and community, enjoy being a computer geek. I will try give back in any way I can.
- Any regrets about the past 32 years?
I thank God for being blessed, even for the times of difficulties, even through 3 major restructuring, I am grateful for the opportunity to make the transition for people easier and more caring.
- Any wishes for the new leader and management team?
I want to see the team to continue to do well run by Filipinos. Our Swedish management has to continue to appreciate local leadership and management and talent.
[Tita Datu Puangco is the President and CEO of Ancilla Enterprise Development Consulting, an innovative provider of Organization Development and Training solutions in the ASEAN region. These solutions include strategy development and execution, managing change breakthroughs, brand management, innovation and human resource systems. For your letters/ feedback, kindly email: tita.datu76@gmail.com, For other inquiries, please call 8810-3129/0920-9218332/0917-8348176]
