Justin Menkes (Second) Interview by Bob Morris

Justin Menkes

Justin Menkes, Ph.D., is a leading expert in the field of evaluating C-suite executives and preparing individuals for the CEO position. His research led him to the discovery of Executive Intelligence and the creation of a methodology to measure it. Justin is an active member of Spencer Stuart’s Board Services Practice and Executive Assessment Services, and has been advising boards about their chief executives since 2002. He applies his deep understanding of leadership performance to his succession work with clients such as Blackstone, Chevron, Mass Mutual and State Street. Meknes has received international recognition for his expertise, authoring The Wall Street Journal best seller Executive Intelligence (2005), as well as articles for Chief Executive magazine, Directorship magazine and Harvard Business Review.

His latest book about the chief executive position in the 21st century, Better Under Pressure, was published in May of 2011 by Harvard Business Review Press. He has chaired master tutorials to train others in best practice assessment techniques, and was inducted into the Sigma Xi Psychological Honors Society in recognition of his research contributions to the field of psychology. 

During his doctoral work at Claremont Graduate University, he studied under the late Peter Drucker. Previously, he graduated with honors from Haverford College and received his M.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Menkes holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Claremont Graduate University.

Morris: Before discussing your most recent book, Better Under Pressure, a few general questions.  First, for those who are unfamiliar with the concept of Executive Intelligence (ExI), what differentiates it from the multiple intelligences that Howard Gardner has written about in his various books and article?

Menkes: Executive Intelligence is about the specific skills one must have in order to succeed in senior leadership positions, i.e. the ability to evaluate underlying assumptions, recognize the likely emotional reactions of individuals, or sense a misstep and make appropriate adjustments.

Morris: It has been six years since Executive Intelligence was published. To what extent (if any) have you revised the concept of Executive Intelligence (ExI)?

Menkes: The concept has been broadened to involve some other qualities that are the foundation of my latest work.

Morris: In your opinion, is the need for today’s leaders to develop ExI greater or about the same as it was (let’s say) five years ago? Please explain.

Menkes: ExI, and its evaluation are very must about one’s ability to think under pressure.  Given the evolution of global business, this is more important today, and it’s going to stay that way.

Morris: You have frequently acknowledged the importance to you of Peter Drucker’s influence that began when you were one of his students at Claremont Graduate University. Of all that you learned from him in or out of class, what has proven to be most valuable?

Menkes: Defining great leadership as the ability to get ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That concept is eternal.

Morris: Who else have also had a significant influence on your personal growth and professional development?

Menkes: Mihaly Czicksenmihalyi  (sp?).  His work with creativity and flow had a profound influence on me.

Morris: What specifically are your areas of involvement at Spencer Stuart?

Menkes: I work exclusively in the board and CEO practice.

Morris: In your opinion, what must happen so that women occupy more board and C-level positions in Fortune 500 companies?

Menkes: I think it’s an evolution.  In the past there was not much social acceptance of men taking a primary care taking role at home.  That has changed, and along with it, the opportunities for mothers to take on more demanding executive roles.

Morris: Based on what you have observed, to what extent (if any) is there a gap between what business schools now teach and what their students need to learn to become effective leaders and managers?

Menkes:  They need to help students learn how to thrive under pressure. To understand themselves and their psychological vulnerability that might inhibit their ability to be effective in roles that involve ongoing complexity and duress.  Preparation is essential.

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To read the complete interview, please click here.

Design Lessons from the Consumer at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Deepa Prahalad

Here is an excerpt from an article written by Deepa Prahalad for the Harvard Business Review blog “The Conversation” series. “The Conversation is our home for inspired insights and observations from a wide array of contributors.” To read the complete article, check out the wealth of free resources, and sign up for a subscription to HBR email alerts, please click here.

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Close to a decade after the idea of the “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BOP)  came into the business vocabulary (disclosure: my father, C.K. Prahalad, put it there), the struggle to understand its role as a market and as a source of innovation continues.

Yes, there are notable examples of BOP innovation from global corporations (such as the GE portable ECG machine) and emerging market companies (such as the Chotukool refrigerator) that have broken through in global markets. Yet businesspeople and designers still have much to learn from and about the BOP consumer.

At the BOP, affordability is necessary but not sufficient. Tastes and aspirations change rapidly. This is precisely what can make the BOP such an important learning platform for designers. Independent of any altruistic motives, engaging with the BOP can help designers and innovators gain insight into the following three key issues:

[This is the first. Please click here to read the entire article.]

1. Usability: A great idea remains just that until it is manifested into a design that motivates people to use it. The bar for usability is very high in developed markets because of an abundance of choice and competition. A great interface, ease of use and a pleasurable consumer experience help break through the noise.

Ironically, the usability test in the BOP is often even higher precisely because the poor remained below the radar of multinational corporations for so long. BOP consumers are used to creating their own gadgets with what they have or with help from the community. That means that the poor are used to getting a highly personalized interface at an acceptable price point with very low training requirements. There is also help available locally and affordably when things break down.

The poor are also used to a highly collaborative design process. While a custom-made garment is a luxury even for middle and high-income consumers in Europe or the US, it is the norm for many poor consumers. The same is true for personal care products and small electronics. Women in India often mix their own beauty products from herbal powders at home, and local electronics shops fix and modify devices to suit consumers’ needs.

Demographics also force companies to sharpen usability. In India and China, multigenerational households are still the norm. Due to the recession, they’re making a comeback in the U.S., too from 4.8% to 6.1% of households. Communal purchase decisions and usage patterns make the BOP a robust testing ground for usability across generations, skill sets, aesthetic preferences and income categories. Cell phone makers, for example, have used ethnography to ensure that their devices can be shared easily among family members.

Much of the angst regarding the BOP stems from unresolved questions about whether (and how) companies can do well by doing good. The simple answer is that the financial and social value of BOP initiatives is as individual as the firms and entrepreneurs leading them. Engaging with the BOP should not be a debate about the social obligation of the firm. In many cases, companies may be doing themselves a favor.

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Deepa Prahalad is a strategy consultant and co-author (with Ravi Sawhney) of Predictable Magic: Unleash the Power of Design Strategy to Transform Your Business

(Wharton School Publishing, 2010).