Conversations in Management
From
an early age, Grace Hopper’s twin interests in mathematics and
mechanics were obvious. In an age where math was considered an
unsuitable course of study for a girl, she demonstrated such a
high aptitude for the subject, that her parents hired private
tutors to help her develop her skills. Hopper’s parents also had
no trouble spotting her interest in learning how things worked
when at seven years old she disassembled all the family’s clocks
in an effort to learn what made them tick. Her interests
didn’t abate and by the time she was 27 she had earned a
doctorate, was teaching at Vassar and was publishing articles
with catchy titles like, “The Ungenerated Seven as an Index to
Pythagorean Number Theory,” in the American Mathematical
Monthly. Though over-aged and underweight, she joined the
Navy during WW II and was immediately put to work on the Mark I
computer—one of the world’s first large-scale automatic digital
computers. Hopper went on to pioneer principles for computer
operations and programming. She conceptualized the compiler, a
program that translates English into computer code. Later she
was a key programmer for UNIVAC and a co-developer of COBOL.
But she didn’t do it alone.
Hopper’s
greatest achievements were all made as the leader of highly
effective teams. And the cornerstone of her leadership was
loyalty. Loyalty is derived from the Latin for legal
and the term suggests a formal relationship or allegiance
between parties. That means loyalty is always a
two-way street. It’s never enough to expect loyalty without
giving it first. It’s also the antidote to the rampant me-ism
found in the workplace today. Looking out for number one
might be a good strategy for hermits, but it never suffices for
those responsible for leading the efforts of others. That
requires a catch-ball relationship in which the leader
both gives and receives loyalty. But as Hopper noted, loyalty
goes both up and down. Many strong leaders are
adept at fostering loyalty among their followers, but forget
their obligation to be loyal to those who lead them.
Loyalty
up, according to Hopper, is a matter of respect. It begins
with respecting your leader’s organizational role. That includes
deferring to their authority, supporting their decisions and
accepting that they might have information that can’t be made
available to you. In short, it means trusting that they’re
working toward the same organizational ends that you are—even
though you might not always understand how. In a deeper sense,
loyalty also means respecting your leader as an individual. That
kind of loyalty is earned through demonstrations of
integrity, fairness and good will. Hopper says loyalty down
is a matter of taking care of your people. This involves
communicating objectives and expectations both clearly and
straightforwardly. It entails removing obstacles to your team’s
success and making sure they have the resources they need. It
means ensuring they’re appropriately rewarded for their efforts—before
you claim any reward for yourself. The best leaders,
however, go well beyond this. They connect with their people.
Their actions demonstrate that every team member is valued and
respected. They listen and they respond.
Ultimately, loyalty is about sacrifice—self-sacrifice.
It’s about putting some of your own interests and desires aside
in favor of a common interest. It’s a thoughtful rather than a
reckless process. It’s grounded in your personal integrity and
beliefs. But it fosters loyalty up and loyalty down.
It’s the mark of a genuine leader.
—Ebert
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