Todays analyst, tomorrows leader Andrew Brown AXA APH November 2006

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Todays analyst, tomorrows leader Andrew
BrownAXA APHNovember 2006
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Agenda

• Core Leadership Learnings
• Moving from analyst to leader

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Core Leadership Learnings

• 1. Leadership begins with self Mastery
• You cannot lead others until you can lead
  yourself
• What gets you out of bed each morning?
• what are you passionate about?
• what are you prepared to speak up for?

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Core Leadership Learnings
Leading through self mastery
Meaning/Purpose/Aspiration
Dreamer
Self Actualiser
Potential
Skilled Worker
Skill/Capability
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Core Leadership Learnings
Four Questions to find your true voice in life

• What need do I sense (in my family, my community,
  in the organisation I work for)?
• Do I possess a true talent that, if disciplined
  and applied, can meet the need?
• Does the opportunity to meet the need tie into my
  passion?
• Does my conscience inspire me to take action and
  become involved?

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Core Leadership Learnings

• 2. The one person responsible for your career
  development is you!

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Core Leadership Learnings
Levels of Initiative/Self-Empowerment

• ? Do It
• ? Do it and report periodically
• ? Do it and report immediately
• ? I intend to
• ? Make a recommendation
• ? Ask
• ? Wait until told

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Core Leadership Learnings

• 3. A career is a journey. Not all stops are as
  enjoyable or scenic as others, but each stop can
  be learned from. The clearer you are on where you
  are going, the clearer it becomes why you need to
  pass through each place
• Qualifying as an Actuary is but one (important)
  step on the journey!

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Core Leadership Learnings My Career Journey
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Core Leadership Learnings

• 4. Leadership is more than just being book smart.
  
• Mastering the tools of your trade is essential
  to, but only
• one part of, leadership

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Intellectual Capability
Maths Finance Olympics
Actuary
The actuary is typically highly intelligent..
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But what determines success?
Studies have shown that IQ can predict between
1 and 20 (average 6) of success in a given
job. - Steven Stein, Ph.D
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Measures of success - Traits of Leaders
An Effective Leader
Integrity
Communicator
People Focused
Visionary
Caring
Decision Maker
Other
Dedicated
Model
Motivator
Expert
Courageous
0
3,000
6,000
9,000
12,000
15,000
54,000 surveyed the Eighth Habit Stephen Covey
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Leadership and thinking preferences
Establishing Strategic Direction
VISION CATALYSE INNOVATE
PROBLEM SOLVE ANALYSE EVALUATE
Leading through Vision and values
Business acumen
Building strategic partnership
Credibility
Cultural awareness adaptability
Technical and Professional Skills
Global awareness
Innovation
Building a successful team
Implementing Strategic Direction
Customer orientation
Achievement orientation
PLAN IMPLEMENT HOLD ACCOUNTABLE
COACH INSPIRE COMMUNICATE
Communication
Change Management
Coaching
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Agenda

• Core Leadership Learnings
• Moving from analyst to leader

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Moving from analyst to Leader

• Before we can move we need to understand what the
  gap is and where we need to move

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Newly Qualified Actuaries employer perceptions
of importance vs capability of different skills
Importance Capability
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Part III analysts employer perceptions of
importance vs capability of different skills
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Moving from Analyst to Leader AXA View
What does it mean to the business What are the
consequences
Does this make sense Given the uncertainty,
what would be a reasonable range of values
Business Acumen
Judgement
How do you explain the results to the business
Communication
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Moving from analyst to leader HOW????

• 1. Take into account multiple different views
• Read widely
• Seek and resolve ambiguity
• Test the underlying assumptions of the official
  story are they robust?
• The future isnt a deterministic straight line
  it isnt even stochastic! Consider emerging
  trends and patterns

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Futures view on trends analysis

• A trend has on average a 30 year life cycle.
  Usually it is
• spotted first
• By one or two visionaries in art
• 2. By a few people writing paradigm changing
  works such as macro-histories or scientific
  revolutions research
• 3. Written reports of scientific identification
  and measurement of the trend in academic
  journals
• 4. A) The trend becomes a problem and thereby
  a media event and is regularly reported in the
  day to day media and talk back shows.
• B) By now the issue is declining and
  enters by-laws and school curricula (Governance
  responses are almost always in category (b) and
  then regulatory ie. not facilitative).

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Futures view on trends analysis cont..
Problem or Opportunity? Your choice
Trend
Emerging Issue
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Moving from analyst to leader HOW????

• 2. Know where to tap
• Understand the interconnections
• Understand the key drivers
• Understand the areas of highest uncertainty and
  highest consequence

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Moving from analyst to leader HOW????

• 3. On matters of opinion, bend with the wind. On
  matters of principles stand like a rock
• Know what you stand for, know when your
  thresholds have been crossed and know how to give
  the client what they want without crossing that
  sacred line.

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Moving from analyst to leader HOW????

• 4. Leadership paradox - Letting go is the fastest
  way to gain control
• Empowering others by letting go of doing it all
  ourselves
• Letting go of our limiting beliefs to test our
  perceived boundaries
• The past behaviours that created our current
  success may be the very behaviours that stop us
  from going to the next level.
• By letting go, we can better see the whole

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Questions..
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In summary..
The first act of leadership is leading self. This
means understanding what you are great at, what
you can contribute and what your development
needs are. The second act of leadership is
taking responsibility for the areas that you can
influence, such as your personal and career
development. To lead others you need to be able
to connect, care and communicate. So a good
leader is not just technically excellent, but can
also develop those around to become excellent. A
great leader also imparts a sense of purpose and
meaning in what people are working towards. To
lead markets or professions means being open to
new ideas and information, questioning the way
things are done. You must also understand the
structure of the systems you operate in and the
leverage points of the system (know where to
tap) A key challenge in moving from analyst to
leader is being able to let go of the control of
the detailed analysis, calculation and processing
that you have become so very good at. Letting go
doesnt mean abdicating responsibility it means
directing, coaching, supporting or delegating
rather than doing yourself. When we are deeply
involved in the detail, it is often not obvious
where the gaps are or what may confusing to
others. Letting go of the doing allows you to
step back and see the broader picture. It allows
you to review the information from a different
perspective and to think about how to communicate
it to the client.