Leading by Feel - Keep It Honest
August 8, 2007
by: Carol Bartz
A friend needed to take a six-month assignment in a different part of the country. She had an ancient, ill, balding but beloved dog that she could not take with her. Her choices boiled down to boarding the poor animal, at enormous expense, or putting it out of its obvious misery.
Friends said,“Board the dog,”though behind my friend’s back, they ridiculed that option. She asked me what I thought, and I told her, kindly but clearly, that I thought she should have the dog put to sleep rather than spend her money keeping it in an environment where it would be miserable and perhaps die anyway. My friend was furious with me for saying this. She boarded the dog and went away on her assignment.
When she returned, the dog was at death’s door and had to be put to sleep. Not long after that, my friend came around to say thanks.“You were the only person who told me the truth,”she said. She came to appreciate that I had cared enough to tell her what I thought was best, even if what I said hurt at the time.
That event validated a hunch that has stood me in good stead as I’ve led my company. Empathy and compassion have to be balanced with honesty. I have pulled people into my office and told them to deal with certain issues for the sake of themselves and their teams. If they are willing to learn, they will say,“Gee, no one ever told me.” If they are unwilling, they’re not right for this organization. And I must let them go for the sake of the greater good.
Carol Bartz is the chairman, president, and CEO of Autodesk, a design software and digital content company in San Rafael, California.
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