A VC and a Consultant Talk about Leadership

I generally do not read business magazines. I much prefer blog posts for their practical insight. Yesterday I saw this article in Inc., "5 Leadership Skills You Must Have to Succeed". I thought the lessons were markedly different from the points in this Steve Blank article about Larry Ellison, "Watching Larry Ellison become Larry Ellison — The DNA of a Winner". In this article Kathryn Gold, a VC, talks about how Larry Ellison's qualities were the benchmark for how she judged entrepreneurs.

To summarize Ms. Gold's view of leadership:

• "Have a clear mission and inspire everyone to live it every day
• Are the best salesman in the company
• Hire the smartest people
• Have a technological vision and the ability to convince others that it’s the right thing
• Know it’s about winning customers and don’t spend money on things that aren’t mission-critical 
• Are relentless in pursuit of their goals and never take NO for an answer
• Know humor is powerful — and fun!"

In the Inc. story Looly Daskal, a well known consultant, shares these points about leadership:

• Self-awareness "Success begins within"
• Business acumen
• The skill of relationship building
• Create an inspired culture
• Agility and adaptability

Ms. Gold appears to focus on mission and people. Ms. Doskal appears to focus on the individual. The West Point leadership style, which I still think is the best leadership program, has these priorities:

1. Mission
2. People
3. Self.

I will stick with blog posts.