CRA Inc

21 Mar 07 @ 3:34 pm

Leadership Legacy

What makes a major project successful? Not many disagree that success is as much about leadership as it is about followership. Seems obvious. But how do really successful leaders actually get people to do what they want them to do, and do it willingly? How do successful leaders accomplish their own goals and bring others onboard? Less obvious.

Last month, a prominent Alzheimer’s researcher, with a loyal and industrious followership, died in a tragic plane crash. Among his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Leon Thal was the director of the Alzheimer’s disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) since its establishment in 1991. ADCS is a consortium of more than 70 research centers in North America, designed to test drugs for their efficacy in slowing down the progression or treating the symptoms of AD. Under his leadership, more than 4,600 people participated in these studies and significant advancements in understanding AD were made.

Dr. Thal, imbued with many talents, was the force that made ADCS so successful. He did this by using his ability to forge consensus. He started by earning the trust and respect of those around him, in him as a person and as a professional, and he continued by always staying true to his principles.

From the beginning, the ADCS Steering Committee meetings were virtuoso performances by Leon. He was the conductor of a process whereby 30 senior clinical investigators—each with opinions, egos, biases, and quirks—came together with ideas about which clinical trials to pursue and how. After many discussions, time after time Thal led the group to effective consensus. Subsequently, investigators consistently felt they had been heard and had contributed to the final decision.

In truth, Thal knew where he wanted to go from the very beginning and carefully brought everyone around to his point of view. He had a goal: to find therapies that would provide help to Alzheimer’s patients and their families. He had a strategy: to design a consortium of the most talented and passionate researchers in the field. But perhaps most importantly, he led by guiding principles: to treat people fairly and with respect, build relationships, and never lose sight of the goal. Under Thal’s magical direction, the group moved forward.

Someone close to me (and whom I admire deeply) spoke at Thal’s memorial, and his words reminded me of this lesson on leadership. There are many ways to get things done and leadership is nothing if not about producing results. But what distinguishes some leaders from others is how they produce results. Thal employed behaviors to manage relationships favorably and, by all accounts, he produced extraordinary results.

posted in category(s): Leadership Communication