X-Factor Leadership
Leaders Have To Be Able To Create Clear And Simple Strategies From Extreme Complexity
X-Factor Leadership
Claudia Gilles, vice president of human resources at Intel’s Client Computing Group (CCG), shared timely insights with The ExCo Group‘s CEO, David Reimer, and Senior Managing Director and Partner, Adam Bryant, on navigating business uncertainty, HR, and emotional intelligence.
Reimer: What’s changed about the demands on HR as a business partner?
Gilles: Not that long ago, you had the ability to deal with one event. You could plan your year around a strategy shift or implementing a new initiative and then have space to deal with the unexpected. The difference now is that everything is intertwined and always evolving—geopolitics, broader societal shifts, and rapid technological changes. Impacts are not linear. Outcomes in one area will change things that seem completely unrelated or in ways you didn’t anticipate.
Bryant: What are the implications of that for leaders?
Gilles: Leaders used to be able to make plans with a starting and end point. Now, the picture is blurry, and there are other layers to consider. Leaders today have to be able to think globally and systemically, and they have to be able to take what is extremely complex and turn it into a simple and clear strategic direction. That helps everyone know what they should worry about and what they don’t need to focus on at any particular moment.
Reimer: What about your background makes you comfortable in a role like this where there is so much ambiguity?
Gilles: I grew up in Brazil, where I experienced and saw a lot of diversity and adversity. So I never take opportunities for granted, and I bring a level of resiliency to challenges. I’ve seen a lot of poverty. I’ve seen a lot of suffering. Being able to make a difference for others humbles me and motivates me.
When I was a kid, I saw many people dealing with the emotional impact of losing their jobs. When I started to work in human resources, I had to deal with a lot of changes in the workforce and make a lot of business decisions that impacted people. I would often be the person communicating the news to them, and I had employees say to me, “Claudia, how am I going to go home? What am I going to tell my wife?” People often define their value to their family and to society based on their jobs.
Bryant: How have those experiences shaped the advice you give to your own kids?
Gilles: I have two boys, and one is in college now. I often talk to them about the importance of not taking things at face value and trying to understand the different sides and layers of a story and the various implications and consequences.
I also tell them that if they are going to have an opinion on something, then it should be informed. You have to be curious and learn about all the different facets of a problem. There are always different sides to every issue and a lot of grey in between.
Reimer: What themes come up most often when you are coaching senior executives?
Gilles: The main thing that holds back some executives is a lack of emotional intelligence, which can impact how they collaborate with and influence others. That requires self-awareness. You can have a leader who is a brilliant technical visionary, but they won’t be able to execute if they can’t bring others along. You have to not only understand others’ points of view but also how they experience what you’re doing. That’s a superpower.
Leaders also have to have a very clear purpose and know what they stand for, and then be very consistent in their actions with those values. That’s a big part of being authentic.
I have seen leaders over my career who were not consistent and who flip-flopped depending on the audience or the pressures. People will tolerate leaders who make the occasional strategic mistake, but they are less tolerant of leaders who are not consistent in terms of what they stand for. Leaders have to stand for something in a way that people can count on, and that won’t change depending on who they’re reporting to or the particular circumstances.
Bryant: What was a key moment for you in your own development as a leader?
Gilles: I had an experience that shifted from complete chaos and loss to a great opportunity, and that shaped my perspective on how I see problems or chaos or complexity today. In 2001, I joined a company where I was supposed to help with mergers and acquisitions. They were acquiring a lot of companies, and my role was to help integrate all the new talent.
I joined the company just a week or so before September 11, and my job effectively disappeared on that day because the acquisition plan was completely shut down. The job I was hired for no longer existed. It was chaos. But we started to look for efficiencies to help us operate in the new world. I raised my hand. I had leaders who believed in me ,and they said go for it.
I went to work on a project to completely change the operation of the company. It was not my area of expertise, but I volunteered to join the project, and I ended up joining the corporate team to restructure the company. I learned so much, and it led to some rotations outside of HR in operations. In the end, I came back to HR much stronger. You learn a lot in those moments of complete chaos to understand how you can make a difference and add value.