All the world's a stage when you're the boss

Shakespeare outlined the seven ages of man in As You Like It and Warren Bennis, the University of Southern California management expert, says the same seven stages apply to leaders as they advance in their careers:

The Infant Executive: You may not, as Shakespeare put it, be "mewling . . . in the nurse's arms," but for the young person at the brink of becoming a leader, what lies ahead can seem mysterious or frightening, so it pays to find the corporate equivalent of a nurse, a mentor, who can prepare you.

The Schoolboy, with Shining Face: The first leadership experience is an agonizing education, in public, as you are subject to unsettling scrutiny of every word and act. "Your first acts will win people over or they will turn people against you, sometimes permanently," Prof. Bennis warns in Harvard Business Review.

The Lover, with Woeful Ballad: For a leader who came up from the ranks, one of the toughest challenges will be to relate to peers now reporting to you. On the other hand, if you step in from outside you have to know to whom to pay attention in the new circle and how to avoid being thwarted by an unconscious conspiracy to preserve the status quo by dumping problem after problem in your lap.

The Bearded Soldier: Over time, as leaders become comfortable in their role, attaining greater confidence and conviction, they have to beware that doesn't snap their connection to followers. It's easy to assume that what you are hearing from followers is what needs to be heard. Leaders at this stage must also nurture people whose star may shine as brightly as -- or even more brightly -- than their own.

The General, Full of Wise Saws: Like Julius Caesar, who was warned about the Ides of March, one of the greatest challenges a leader faces at the height of his career is not simply allowing people to speak the truth, but actually being able to hear it.

The Statesman, with Spectacles on Nose: As power begins to wane, you must pass on your wisdom in the interest of the organization. The leader's experience and wisdom may be called upon to play an important interim role.

The Sage, Second Childhood: It's time to enjoy the joys of mentoring, leaving your professional legacy for future generations.

Globalization and soccer

What could be more global than soccer? The world's leading professional players and owners pay no mind to national borders, yet, at the same time, journalist Franklin Foer notes in the journal Foreign Policy, the game reveals much more about globalization's limits than its possibilities.

For example, England three years ago handed over its national team to Swedish manager Sven Goran Eriksson, shocking the country.

But instead of remaking the team in his suave continental image, Mr. Foer says the new coach has practised a caricature of old-fashioned, gritty, goonish English football. His failure to change the culture of a country -- the deeply ingrained virtues that English players learn from childhood -- is archetypal.

Portugal handed its squad over to a Brazilian, and one of Japan's best players, Alessandro Santos, was born and raised in Brazil. "None of these foreigners has succeeded in transforming the style and culture of national soccer teams," he writes, instead demonstrating the ability of indigenous cultures to withstand the market's assault.

Nuggets

Two hardware store owners from Racine, Wis., recently borrowed from the hit television series Trading Spaces and visited each other's outlet across town, appraising it, taking digital photos of what could be improved, and then meeting to pass on their recommendations. (Source: Do-It-Yourself Retail)

The average cost per hire, according to the Conference Board of Canada, is $43,000 for an executive, $17,000 for a management/professional employee, $13,300 for technical staff, and $3,300 for clerical/support workers. On average, it takes 15 weeks to hire an executive, nine weeks for a management/professional employee, seven weeks for a technical worker, and four weeks for clerical/support staff. (Source: Workplace Today)

U.S. productivity is the highest in the world because Americans put in more hours. Workers in France and Belgium are more productive on a per-hour basis, author Joe Robinson calculates. (Source: Fast Company)

If somebody hands you their card at a meeting, that gives you permission to communicate one-on-one with them but not to add them to your e-mail marketing list. There's an expectation that you might follow up, says Keith Thirgood of Capstone Communication Group, but that should be directly related to your conversation. (Source: Small Business Canada)

E-Duction's payroll deduction cards are a new benefit allowing employees to borrow interest-free money from paycheques over the next six months for major purchases. (Source: HR Professional)

At least twice a month, Susan Paish, managing partner of Fasken Martineau law firm, phones a client to ask "How we are doing?" She pushes past the "everything's fine" with an insistence she take them to lunch, where she usually wheedles something out of them on how her firm can serve them better. (Source: BC Business)

Tech talk

The Xpower Micro Inverter 175 from Xantrex is an adapter that converts your auto's cigarette jack into a standard AC outlet so that you can plug in any device with its regular cord. (Source: PC World)

hschachter@globeandmail.ca