PORTLAND, Ore. -- Leadership is the ability to teach people and organizations how to surpass themselves, Scott W. Klein, president and chief executive officer of Information Resources Inc., Chicago, told an audience here.
d Industry Leadership Center at Portland State University.
Throughout his talk, Klein stressed the importance of a leader to care about people.
"To be a successful leader, you must build teams, and you must care about your people. You can't avoid making tough decisions and you will make mistakes, but you need to get your people behind you.
"You need to exhibit desire and drive, and wear it on your shirt sleeves because people need to know you care. Make other people feel your heat and your intensity, but also make them feel your warmth and a personal connection.
"Broadcast how important winning is. People make the difference, and if you take care of your people better than anyone else, you will win."
Being a manager is not the same as being a leader, Klein said.
"Managers handle tasks, while leaders decide where an organization or team needs to go," he explained. "Managers are static, and leaders are dynamic.
"Where managers tell people what to do and pursue what is necessary to make sure things happen every day, leaders energize other people and pursue what is possible rather than what is necessary."
