What Does a Great Manager Look Like?

One of the great perks of being a professor at Dartmouth College is that I often meet fascinating people who are doing cool things at work, and out of work. While some are exotic in their interests, in some ways the most interesting are those people who are just doing their job at a level that makes others notice. And when that work crosses over into the world of superbosses, I get especially interested.

Anthony Ostler is a great example. He’s a Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations at State Street in Boston, and recently came in to speak to one of our executive education groups about leadership and mentoring. Aside from a tremendous track record of building strong external and internal relationships and significant experience in finance, capital markets, governance, strategy, risk management and marketing at global firms, Anthony is a giver. He is currently a board member of the Boston chapter of buildOn, a non-profit charitable organization, the most recent past Chair of the Board of the Ivey Alumni Network and has held a number of leadership volunteer roles in support of social services organizations in Canada, where he (and I, as it turns out), hail.

Dr. Syd: Did you ever work for a “Superboss”? What made that boss so special?

Anthony Ostler: Yes, Peter Currie, who was the CFO of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in the late 1990s and early 2000’s. Although I was not his direct report, he sought me out for my input and insights early on in my tenure, eventually giving me really interesting and challenging assignments beyond the scope of my role. For example, after the “Dot Com” crash he commissioned me to design, launch and implement RBC’s Graduate Leadership Program, even though I was not in Human Resources. He felt I would be able to help RBC attract and retain future leaders and he believed the business should own talent programs, rather than HR.

Dr. Syd: You’ve dedicated a great deal of time to being a mentor to other people. Why is this so important to you?

AO: I was fortunate to be adopted into an incredible family with strong values, where I was supported, nurtured and encouraged to pursue my dreams. Out of this I have come to believe that “to whom much is given, much is expected”. Thus, it is important to give back to one’s community and to support the next generation as one’s legacy is not money, titles or materials, but ensuring that one is improving the world around them and helping those that need support. Mentoring is especially rewarding as often individuals just need to be encouraged and nudged in the right direction and I’ve seen that time and again.

Dr. Syd: What are some of the specific benefits you’ve experienced from doing this?

AO: Although I had not expected this, mentoring has strengthened my leadership skills, as I have learned that instead of prescribing answers to my protégés, they reach a more robust answer when they leverage a decision making framework and own their process. I drive them to ascertain their key criteria, define their vision and objectives, and then develop an action plan. Often they have been limited by their imagination and pushing them to stretch themselves is very rewarding. It has been especially energizing to then guide them as they implement their visions and achieve their objectives, while supporting them through their setbacks and challenges.

Dr. Syd: How should experienced leaders manage Millennials?

AO: Like any generation there are risks to generalizing, but my experience with the hundreds of Millennials I have met suggests that they want to be challenged, given growth and learning opportunities and to be engaged in meaningful work. If the well runs dry, they will seek out greener pastures. In fact, today’s environment has created a free agent ethos where if Millennials are taken for granted they will pursue challenges and opportunities that are more rewarding and enriching.

Dr. Syd: If there’s one thing you could change about business and organizational life, what would it be? Why?

AO: I think that the over specialization of job descriptions has resulted in “unicorn” hiring practices where recruiters hide behind numerous criteria, making it hard for anyone but the uniquely qualified to get the role. This often results in the successful candidate starting as a pigeon holed employee who is expected to own the role out of the gate, rather than allowing for development. As a result, we may be missing candidates who are curious, insightful, engaged and determined. Whereas, when we hire for these traits, we reinforce the importance of development and engage our employees in a way that allows us to continually improve and grow as an organization.