04-014 Ch01 pp5

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they are naive, says Robert McFarland, vice president of Dells federal sales group.
Although Dell Computer is the quintessential lean-and-mean company, Michael does not
play the part of the whipcracker. After recently receiving an award from the Austin,
Texas, Chamber of Commerce, for example, Michael and his wife stayed long after the
program was over to chat with everyone who wanted to meet him. He has been
described as shy and quiet and not inclined toward public hyperbole. Michael has a genuine shyness . . . he is a genuinely mild-mannered, low-key person who was very focused
on reaching his objectives, says Brian Fawkes, a former Dell employee. Admittedly, Dell
has experienced several missteps and losses, but Michael has been unafraid to learn from
missteps. Michael makes mistakes. He just never makes the same mistake twice, says
Mark Tebbe, president of a firm Dell recently acquired.
Source: Adapted from Darrow, B. (1998). Michael Dell. Computer Reseller News,
November 16, 124125.

Adrian Manger
Adrian Manger walks through a village in the rugged mountains of Papua New Guinea on
her way to work. She is a CPA and the head of management services for British
Petroleums mine in western New Guinea, which employs 1,900 people. She accepted
the position because of the unique nature of the work, the countrys culture, the magnificent coastlines, the spectacular diving, and the isolated tropical islands. I chose Papua
New Guinea for the combination of the career experience and the element of adventure.
It is a rugged country, says Adrian. Her days are spent in a wide variety of activities,
including intermittent helicopter rides, meetings with government officials on taxation
and compliance matters, and visits to the countrys largest copper mine. Gone are the
days when the chief financial officer could sit in her office crunching out numbers, states
Adrian. We need to be in the field communicating with operational personnel on a technical level. We also need to understand their needs and explain the business consequences and financial outcomes of operational decisions. Success relies on working
together.
Source: Adapted from Rice, M. (1999). Rugged mountains and life long connections:
Adrian Manger. Australian CPA, 3637.

Bob Iger
Bob Iger knows that the bold management style that he honed as chairman at ABC will
be reined in at the Walt Disney Company. Disney, which appointed Iger as president and
chief operating officer, takes fewer chances as a company than ABC did. Iger had to
change the lifestyle that led him to 5:00 A.M. workouts in a New York gym so he could be
in his ABC office by 6:15 A.M. and home most nights for dinner. His family stayed in New
York while he moved to Burbank, a heady commute. Iger was selected for the numbertwo spot at Disney because his style complements that of CEO Michael Eisner. Michael
is a creative, domineering, energetic guy. Bob is a hard-working, top-to-bottom, thoughtful guy, says Joe Roth, Disneys studio chief. Hes just as comfortable reviewing TV show
scripts as balancing network budgets or negotiating deals with TV affiliates. There is one
description of his style that Iger doesnt likenice. I dont think you can be nice in the
truest sense when you have a job like this. You have to be tough. I think there are a lot of
people you can talk to who will volunteer that Im not nice, he says. Dealing with the
egomaniacs in the show business world, toughness may be exactly the right quality to
possess. On the other hand, Iger seems to know the names of almost everyone in the
company, and people are comfortable enough to want to stop and talk, says ABC
President Patricia Fili-Krushel.
Source: Adapted from Alexander, K. L. (2000). No Mr. nice guy for Disney. USA Today,
February 22, B12.

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CHAPTER 1 DEVELOPING SELF-AWARENESS

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