We interview General Sir Richard Shirreff, latterly Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of NATO after a highly regarded career of front line leadership including in Iraq in this, the second in a series of FIDELIO TABLE TALK .
Sir Richard is our host at Sandhurst and brings perspectives, based on his experience where good leadership is the foundation stone of success, to Fidelio’s “Seat at the Table” Development Programme for a selected group of Senior Female Executives in September. We have called on world leaders in their fields to help address key challenges women can face en route to becoming tomorrow’s Chairmen and CEOs.
Fidelio: Why is a General attracted to participating in this programme for senior female executives?
Richard: I am a passionate exponent of the importance of leadership. I have seen the importance of leadership at every level in the armed forces, and I do not believe you can have any organisation that is any good in any sector without good leadership. And so if we are in the business, as I believe we are, of improving performance on boards and leadership teams, improving performance in industry, in business, in the public sector, then leadership is really important. I come from an organisation where good leadership is the foundation of everything, and I hope that this is helpful to the programme A Seat at the Table.
Fidelio: Following on from that, is there a benefit of using Sandhurst as a location for this programme?
Richard: Sandhurst offers, as the programme participants will see and feel very quickly, the essence of what it means to be an Officer in the army. It is an institution that is designed to bring in men and women who have been selected on the basis of their leadership potential. Of course the foundation of being an Officer is command, and leadership is absolutely at the heart of command. I do not think there is another organisation in the world which encapsulates the importance of leadership and so Sandhurst should resonate with all the participants.
Fidelio: Is there anything specific that the military can help us with in terms of obstacles we identify in career progression such as unconscious bias that female executives may face and also may also unwittingly practice?
Richard: The military, frankly, faces exactly the same challenges, or many of the same challenges, in getting women to the top of the organisation – but I do think the army is a values based organisation and these values are not just “moral nice to haves” but are functionally indispensable. These values include respect for others, hence diversity. And the other aspect of the army is that the hierarchical structure lends itself to cultural change: through education and imposition of zero tolerance change can be made to happen. The discipline of the army may be unique but some of its experience may be universal and provide useful insights. Leadership from the top, zero tolerance and inculcation of values through education have general application.
Fidelio: Your view of a command-led organisation seems to chime very well with the regulators’ view that tone from the top is the responsibility of the chairman and the board.
Richard: Yes, absolutely. You are so right about the role of the command, the role of the senior leadership is to set the tone of the organisation. If organisations are failing in any respect, the leaders, quite frankly, need to look in the mirror.
Fidelio: You have a lifetime professional experience of developing and executing strategy. In your experience, can you make any distinctions between a more traditional male approach and a female approach to strategy?
Richard: Strategic leadership to me is all about leadership through influence, and I think that’s the sort of leadership that may well play to female strengths. Non-hierarchical, non-authoritarian but nevertheless very persuasive skills are very important. There may be areas where women are perhaps less confrontational and more able to build alliances and this is an important part of relationship skills.
Fidelio: Do you believe leadership in its different guises can be taught, and how will participants in the programme benefit from the insights around leadership?
Richard: I think leadership can be taught but I think it has to be based on the right foundations. Leadership ultimately is about character and, while we are all individuals, it depends on a number of common characteristics including integrity, ability to build trust, moral courage and the courage to make difficult decisions. Selection is important in the leadership process at the start but much can be taught. Experience is an important leadership quality and this can be gained vicariously through teaching. Organisations which value leadership need to think both about the selection process andthe investment in education.
Participants will benefit from the insights and experience of those running the programme and also the interaction with other women on the programme who bring senior experience from diverse corporate backgrounds. The environment encourages honesty and is devoid of corporate politics that so often colour events. They will be able to learn a great deal from each other’s experience and build life time links and friendships.
Fidelio: How can your senior army experience help us strengthen the pipeline of senior female executives?
Richard: I would argue that a 21st Century General has many parallels with 21st Century corporate leaders. First, one has to be on top of one’s profession. But more than that, I think given the complexity of the 21st Century, one needs to have other qualities including social and political skills to operate in a connected and congested and complex world. Finally one has to be prepared to make mistakes as these offer an invaluable learning experience.
Fidelio: What will be the impact of greater diversity on Britain’s board rooms?
Richard: Greater diversity means greater breadth of experience and greater breadth of experience means you have the ability to look at individual and specific business problems from many different angles and different facets. The risk of group think is substantially reduced. To that end women must feel confident enough to play the challenger role in the leadership team and the boardroom. Hence one of the important programme elements concerns, standing one’s ground and making a difference through being able to contribute.
General Sir Richard Shirreff
Richard Shirreff has over 37 years of experience as an international leader and commander with exceptional diplomatic, managerial and political skills, rising to the top rank in the British Army and NATO. A high achiever of international significance able to operate in the most complex environments under sustained political pressure, he has a record of unfailing achievement from the strategic to the tactical. An inspirational leader, able to build multinational teams to achieve extraordinary results. A savvy influencer with considerable experience in successful pan-governmental negotiation who would add value, diversity and an alternative approach to any board, he is a regular speaker to corporates on leadership and strategy and is establishing himself as an independent consultant focusing particularly on multinational strategic projects and above ground risk (physical, political, reputational, social) in the extractive industry.
About Fidelio Partners
Fidelio, the Board Development and Executive Search Consultancy will be hosting the Seat at the Table for a selected group of Senior Female Executive on 8th & 9th September 2015 at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. This Programme focusses on the personal and professional development of Senior Female Executives and prepares them for the critical transition to the most senior executive and non-executive roles within an organisation.
If you would like to learn more on the selection criteria for “A Seat at the Table” or if you have any questions please contact Kira Raebel on kraebel@fideliopartners.com or +44 (0) 20 7759 2200.