As President and CEO at MCAN Mortgage Corporation, Bill Jandrisits focused on the leadership lessons he has learned through his career in accounting, real estate finance and private equity finance. More focused on the analytical side of leadership during his case studies, he – as a fellow Ivey MBA graduate – outlined practical advice he has learned throughout his career.
Jandrisits stressed the importance of understanding what drives you and others as leaders. It is a leader’s vision, values, character and commitment that creates personal credit – the trust, understanding and loyalty – with the people in your organization. As he pointed out, “leadership is always the reality check.”
Of the specific leadership lessons he has learned, Jandrisits shared the three most important: keep your messages simple, especially during times of change; understand the corporate culture; and, life is sometimes too short, so be sure to live and have a strong work-life balance.
Jandrisits outlined how these three lessons played a role in the failure of real estate lenders that resulted in the recent economic crisis. He used the case of Wachovia to demonstrate how short-term greed can lead to long-term collapse, and how several individuals could not see the long-term consequences of their decision making.
Throughout the presentations, the importance of mentorship and learning from leaders you respect was a theme that repeated itself. So too was the need for continual learning, leveraging the abilities of others who can compensate for areas that you are weak in, and the high value of honesty over flattery.
For more information on “Leadership on Trial: A Manifesto for Leadership Development,” please click here.