ode to the FND: Beijing

“ ode to the FND…” The Friday Night dinner club …. is something that I already wrote about — a dinner I have with my old boss, Jason Gorud who is my closest friend, once every 6 weeks or so at a nice restaurant in different country … this dinner is always on a friday.

We use this dinner to discuss various issues in our lives…..

This past Friday – coincidentally, Jason Gorud and I both had meetings in Beijing so we organized our schedules a month ahead of time so we met up in Beijing for a FND at “ JAAN ,” a french restaurant at the Raffles Hotel in Beijing.

Over the dinner and a great bottle of red New Zealand wine “Clos Henri 2005? Jason suggested that I do a blog on “ finding and developing your own management style .”

We discussed how some people fail at leading/managing because they try and be a style that is not for them. Instead of being themselves … they try and act like their mentor or someone they read about, etc.

I have a different style of management than most people. I am demanding – but at the same time very generous.

I try and challenge everyone to be the best they can be … but at the end of the day, not everyone wants to get to the top of my mountain.

Although I do not think any current leaders in naseba try and lead like me … but surely, in the past great sales leaders that worked for me stumbled when they began to manage big teams ….. they tried to lead in the same demaning way that I do …. which ultimately failed for them.

Jason and I had a great FND conversation on leadership…

The next day, Jason Gorud, Thomas Du and I adventured all over Beijing. as we walked around the Forbidden City, Jason commented on how Thomas and Fabien are both great leaders as well as great examples of leaders that are much different, but each have their own style of leading their team – although both are very demanding, they are demanding in their own way.

On Sunday morning, J, thomas and I went to the Great Wall. As we were walking on the wall, Thomas brought up his thoughts on how I (Scott) can get away with being very demanding because at the same time, I can charmingly explain why I am demanding.

Thomas made the point of saying that some people from the outside looking in – at management immulate their leaders, but often times in the wrong way. Example – being too strict or too demanding because they see their boss act this way.

As a manager – your job is to get the most out of your team — of course to hit your targets, but more importantly get the most out of your team.

Each manager needs to develop their own style.

To digress from the point above …..

I am flying to Paris tonight and I wanted to post a blog before I left Bangalore so todays entry is a bit rushed.

Today I was on Indigo Radio for 90 minute and during the break the DJ asked me about my “FND club….” and pointed out that I look at life as one big adventure …. and I try and live this adventure to its fullest.

Even something as silly as a “dinner club” can be developed into something that adds an important facet to ones life.