REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

300 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP

so. There is no real tradition of management education in Russia,

and executive training, if any, is directed toward running a centrally

planned economy. Russian executives need to be given the tools to

learn other ways of doing things. Even something as basic as the

language of business needs attention. Many Russian executives, new

to the concepts of free enterprise, lack the vocabulary to communicate

effectively about productivity, free pricing, competition, markets, cus-

tomer satisfaction, new forms of corporate governance, and profi ts.

Most Russian executives are also unfamiliar with fundamental psy-

chological concepts. They frequently treat their employees like robots

and have little respect for them. Because the technocratic imperative

has ruled for so long, the human factor is rarely included in the

productivity equation.

The learning process can be accelerated via the exchange of ‘ best

practices, ’ in other words, via benchmarking with successful companies.

Although there is no tradition of benchmarking in Russia — given the

communist era ’ s legacy of secrecy and information - hoarding, and the

fact that lateral relationships between economic units were uncom-

mon — it is a process that holds great promise.

Eight leadership lessons

Lesson 1: Be Flexible with Self and Environment

Many of the more effective leaders in present - day Russia have an inter-

nal ‘ locus of control ’ ; they feel able to control their environment and

have a strong sense of self - effi cacy (Rotter, 1966 ; Bandura, 1989 ). In

addition, they are motivated by a desire to continually develop their

potential. They have a capacity to reinvent themselves, and reorient

their organizations, with a rapidity rarely seen at the top of modern

corporations outside Russia.

Lesson 2: Create Leadership Networks

In a collectivist culture such as Russia, relationships are far more impor-

tant than rules. Global Russian business leaders are exceptionally good

at creating and maintaining networks of all kinds, in which they position

themselves as the essential hub. This is one reason why some have been

very effective in forming successful partnerships with foreign partners.