Dialogue With a Tenacious Leader


David D'Alessandro is president and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services—the youngest person to hold both offices for the 139-year-old company. In his view, being persistent is synonymous with being focused.

BARRY FARBER:

How did persistence play a part in what you've accomplished so far?

DAVID D'ALESSANDRO:

By keeping it focused and keeping it simple. If you surround yourself with good people, it allows you to focus on those things that are most important to be tenacious about. My philosophy about both obstacles and opportunities is the same: I want to fully understand this situation, and I won't be satisfied until I do.

BF:

Can you give me an example?

DA:

Recently, my financial people came in and told me there was a large problem with one of our businesses. I had a feeling there was something wrong with their report. In any corporation, big or little, the financial people tend to be slaves to the numbers. If a number is spit out of a computer, they think it's gospel.

But I instinctively felt that the numbers were wrong. I spent four solid hours trying to understand the genesis of the problem. I had to go back and back and back to get to the root. Finally, we discovered that it was a simple human error. Four or five months earlier, someone had typed in the wrong number. That number was then used as the base for all future calculations. The accountants were willing to believe what the computer told them. But I knew it was wrong; I knew that if I was persistent, I would find the answer. And I did.

BF:

What was the result of your being so persistent?

DA:

We saved $2 million that would otherwise have been a loss.

BF:

Are you always that persistent?

DA:

I have to be. I'm the head of the company. People know that I'm incredibly focused, so it makes them pay more attention to detail. They don't want to make mistakes because they know I'll pursue the truth until I find it.

Success... seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.

—Conrad Hilton,
businessman




Diamond Power. Gems of Wisdom From America's Greatest Marketer
Diamond Power: Gems of Wisdom from Americas Greatest Marketer
ISBN: 1564146987
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 207
Authors: Barry Farber

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