DEBORAH DiSANZO AT PHILIPS MEDICAL SYSTEMS

Two things struck me after studying the case “Deborah DiSanzo at Philips Medical Systems”. First, if I was in her shoes, would I have accepted the position being offered by the CEO, and leave behind my present organization where I have already found considerable success? Second, what leadership lessons can I glean from DiSanzo’s experience as General Manager of Patient Monitoring System (PMS)? How do I approach my role as a manager? As a leader? How do I lead an organization that has already found success on its own, and whose people are already well-entrenched?

DiSanzo was already an accomplished career woman when Philips’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Steve Rusckowski asked her to head the Patient Monitoring business of Philips Medical Systems. She has been at the helm of the company’s successful cardiac resuscitation business, and she is looked at as a leader in the arena. But it was no surprise that she accepted the new leadership position. She was an adaptive leader after all. Adaptive leaders do not back away from challenges. As a matter of fact, they thrive in adversity. They find fulfillment in being able to solve such complex challenges.

I may not be an adaptive leader, yet, but I would have surely done the same- take on the challenge of navigating through an unchartered territory. The technical and tactical leader in me says that before I put my boots on the ground, I should first do a detailed analysis, an “intelligence preparation of the battlefield”- identifying the essentials; isolating the expendables; determining the friendly and opposing forces (in this case the key leadership and staff); analyzing the terrain- the obstacles, the key terrain features (the company’s critical hubs/ offices), and drawing the best possible avenues of approach. And that was how DiSanzo did it- good preparation. In other words, she did her homework. Adaptive leaders thrive because they know that for them to thrive in a new, often hostile environment, they have to adapt quickly and smartly which can only be done by painstakingly understanding what lies behind the façade, what lurks behind the shadows, what connects the dots, and what makes things go round.

DiSanzo, despite all her accolades in the business world did not show any signs of arrogance typical of high profile leaders. Instead, she was not ashamed to fold her sleeves up, get her hands dirty, and step into the fight. She could have just easily given out instructions, listened to her staff’s feedback and waited for results. But no. She dove right into the pool, careful enough not to make such a big splash and soak everyone, but forceful enough to make her presence known, and her impact felt. When challenged to establish her credibility, D

Deborah DiSanzo (Courtesy: Business Insider)

DiSanzo did just that and more. She easily earned the trust and confidence of her new ‘family” with her unassuming, light-hearted personality.

DiSanzo’s leadership was nothing extraordinary. Only that, she perfected (or so it seems), the art of listening to people and giving voice to their values by opening lines of communication with them to allow the free flow of ideas. Her sensing skills, honed by years of experience in the industry, allowed her to easily gain the support of her co-workers. Like a seasoned battlefield commander, she trusted her senses (but with research), to lead her team to the most advantageous position where they can win the fight.

DiSanzo knew that as a leader, she did not have monopoly of knowledge and she had a lot to learn from others. Instead, she empowered those who possess it. She recognized everyone’s potential and helped them become better by constantly building the capacity of the organization. She co-opted them to abandon their old paradigm and embrace the need to change and transform the structure and culture of the organization. She was unafraid to take risks, experiment on something unheard of, and even entertain diverse and divergent views. She was the real deal.

EK SONN CHAN

Adaptive Leaders are not ordinary leaders. They thrive in the most challenging environments and get out of the most difficult situations by adapting to the circumstances, and by accepting the challenges placed on their tables. They are bold enough to catalyze meaningful changes in their ecosystem, but patient enough to accept that change doesn’t happen overnight, that change is a gradual, often painful and arduous process.

EK SONN CHAN, the former head of the PPWSA was an Adaptive Leader. He is a survivor. He endured the most chaotic period of history of his country- hurt but unbroken; persecuted yet forgiving; conscious of the past yet optimistic about the future.

When he assumed as head of PPWSA, he realized that its mandate to provide safe water to the people cannot be achieved by just doing what it has been doing. He took it upon himself and the entire organization to create an enabling environment that would transform impossibilities to possibilities. A visionary leader who had high aspirations for his war-torn country, Chan sought to formulate a framework when no framework was available, to create a model out of their own, to effectively stir PPWSA amidst uncertainty and instability. He was not afraid to “rock the boat”, to interrupt and to innovate even in the face of internal and external challenges. How did he do it? How did he survive long enough [once again], to see the aspirations PPWSA come to fruition in spite of the situation’s volatility- amid “the chaos after the chaos”?

Chan, thanks to his early life struggles, was able to separate the MUST HAVEs- the essentials, from the WANTs- the expendables, when he began working on his adaptive challenge. His tragic past did not cloud his vision to be able to see what is essential to the future of PPWSA. His experiences taught him well to determine the obstacles he will face and how to overcome them. He was unafraid to challenge the status quo- perhaps because he thought he had nothing else to lose (most of his family members perished during the war). But neither was he arrogant nor self-centered. He celebrated small wins and attributed big successes to his staff, to the team THEY have painstakingly built.

He smart enough to take unfathomable risks. He didn’t buckle down in the face of adversity - he didn’t flinch when the General pointed a gun on his head. He didn’t succumb to local and international pressures- he sought to prove them that the Cambodian people can stand on its own. When everyone was in doubt, he believed in his people’s capabilities, constantly challenging, educating and motivating them. They were able to develop, test and propagate their own “best practices”, and prove to both detractors and supporters that they can do it.

Chan’s character and strong leadership enabled him and the PPWSA to do a disciplined and comprehensive assessment of the entire organization- where they stand, where they want to go, what to do next. They made selfless service, transparency and accountability as their battle cry at a time when selfishness, corruption and nepotism seemed to be the norm.

An adaptive leader knows when to take a step back, take the high ground, survey the arena, listen to voices, watch out for missing pieces, see through the cloud of dust, know where to go and how- and dive right back into the melee, put the parts together and keep on moving and pushing forward. And that exactly was how Chan did it.

We need more EK SONN CHANs nowadays.