During February's Weidman Center Leadership Lecture, Richard Ji, vice president of infusion therapy systems and site leader for Becton, Dickinson & Company, spoke to students about how to create building blocks of leadership in his lecture entitled "The Legos of Leadership."
Ji began his remarks by relating a story about Ernest Shackleton, a polar explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He explained that on one occasion Shackleton put an ad in the paper that said “Men Wanted: for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in case of success.”
He explained that in today’s world hardly anybody would apply for such a position, however, Ernest Shackleton had 5,000 applicants for only 56 open spots. These men applied, not because they were simply looking for a paycheck, but rather they applied “for a bigger purpose, they were inspired by a larger cause.” Shackleton became a desirable captain because he too understood the bigger purpose, and wanted to make a difference in the world by leading men towards that larger cause.
Ji explained that Shackleton attempted three major voyages in his lifetime, and that all of them were failures.
“His sailors said that despite that failure they would still follow him and sail with him because they respected him and appreciated him as a leader,” he said. “I’ve seen well liked leaders succeed, and I’ve seen well liked leaders fail. I’ve seen controversial leaders succeed and I’ve seen controversial leaders fail.”
According to Ji, good leadership does not come from one singular style of governance. Good leadership comes from being able to embrace diversity among those who follow and understanding that people respond to a variety of leadership approaches.
“I don’t believe that there’s a universal monolithic style that applies to all people in all situations,” said Ji. “Leadership is highly dynamic, requiring us to be agile throughout the day.”
Ji introduced his concept of the “Legos of Leadership” by illustrating that there are “base plates” or competencies, and “building blocks” or capabilities; and that by building upon your competencies with various capabilities then one can become a flexible leader and adapt to any situation.
Ji explained four building blocks that constituted his core competencies:
- Management Skills: in his opinion, both leadership and management skills are needed in today's workplace.
- Authenticity: He explained that imperfections are often the sign of authenticity and that being imperfect can make an individual more relatable and approachable.
- Self-awareness: Ji taught students to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses and ensure that they accomplish what they can accomplish. We often place self-imposed stumbling blocks in our own way, and whether a person believes that they can or cannot do something, then they’re ultimately correct.
- Diversity of thought: Although there are common characteristics he looks for in hiring, he seeks to create an environment with diversity of thought. He believes it makes good business sense to have many viewpoints on a team.
Ji then built on these core competencies by adding four capabilities of agility, adaptability, scalability and visibility. One of Ji’s priorities in his lecture was to provide students with the necessary tools to learn more about leadership and become successful and flexible leaders in the future.
“What we want is a toolbox of capabilities to increase our relevance,” said Ji. “A leader with more tools can be more agile and be more successful in a broader range of solutions.”
Ji closed his remarks by encouraging students to remember three major points from his lecture.
- To lead with purpose and impact
- Future proof your career by developing strong building blocks
- Make your career your own
Media Contact
Krista Tripodi
801-422-3948
krista_tripodi@byu.edu
Writers
Neil Davies