Written by:
Emily Eitches

Spotlight on the Seminar Series: The Four Principles of Good Leadership

Business Today warmly welcomed Evan Chesler, Presiding Partner of Cravath Swaine and Moore LLP (“Cravath”) on December 7th. Cravath consistently ranks among America's most prestigious law firms.

Mr. Chesler has broad experience in both trial and appellate courts, and has tried numerous cases in Federal and state courts all over the country. He has represented IBM, ESPN, Time Warner and Bristols-Myers Squibb. In addition to being recognized as a leading litigator in several practice areas, he was recently named New York City's 2012 "Lawyer of the Year" for Bet-the-Company Litigation by The Best Lawyers in America.

Mr. Chesler was born and raised in the Bronx. He grew up in a working class family and he is the first person in his family to attend college. He is a great believer in education and helping people get through their education if they do not have the financial resources. Mr Chesler shared his four principles of leadership that he has learned over a long career practicing law.

Principle 1: Shoot the Message, not the Messenger
Mr. Chesler had the opportunity to represent Ross Perot. What he noticed, was that his style of leadership was to hire and surround himself with the smartest people he could find. He would empower those he would surround himself with, but in exchange for empowering them, they would have to take responsibility for their actions. If you lead by shooting the messenger, a fear factor is established. The fear factor is “corrosive”, and those who foster it are not exhibiting good principles of leadership.

Principle 2: Feed the Troops
Most leaders assume it is about him or all about her. The way leaders thank those whom they collaborate with is a good metric for the way they think. Their team is just as important as the individual leader. Another indicator of the appreciation of the “troops” is pay. Devising a means of paying people that is smart for the institution is an appropriate form of gratitude. Leaders must not lead for the “drug called notoriety”. Good leadership is more sustainable than your 10 seconds of fame.

Principle 3: Take Responsibility, Even When it’s Not Your Fault
The words mean essentially nothing. What mostly happens is that leaders deny it, lie about it, or take “personal responsibility”. When you say you are responsible for something, you need to take full responsibility for that action. There must be a consequence for your action. Just as you shouldn’t go shopping for food on an empty stomach, decide the limits of your responsibility before the moment of crisis. There is a fallacy of the anonymous gift. There is a sense in which the world assigns a certain nobility to the anonymous gift with which he does not believe. Part of the reason of doing it is to encourage others to do it. The leader should set an example. When you do something that is worthy of recognition, make others aware of it, to encourage that behavior. Never sacrifice telling the truth. People don’t always actively lie, but they engage in avoidance tactics. Confront the truth NOW, not later.

Principle 4: There is no such thing in the world as the self-made success
The value of education can never be underestimated.

photo courtesy of valuestreaming