Detroit City Wire

On October 28, the Detroit Regional Chamber hosted a discussion on leadership featuring Hans-Werner Kaas, co-dean of "The Bower Forum" from McKinsey & Co. The event included contributions from Mark Fields, formerly of Ford Motor Company, and former Admiral Eric T. Olson. Tim Carter of McKinsey & Co. moderated the conversation.

Kaas introduced The Bower Forum program, emphasizing its human-centric approach to leadership growth. He noted that their book addresses a gap in resources by focusing on introspection and self-awareness for leaders. "Rather than solely offering techniques and 'how-to,' The Bower Forum encourages leaders to start with introspection," Kaas stated.

Fields highlighted the isolation often felt by CEOs: “When you become CEO, there’s that old saying, ‘it’s lonely at the top,’ and there’s nobody to talk to.” He stressed the importance of self-awareness and trusting oneself.

Olson emphasized a human-centric leadership approach's effectiveness by focusing on team members' character beyond their resumes. He remarked on building small, high-performing teams where trust is paramount: “Everybody has to trust each other to have the best interest of the team above their selfish best interest.”

Kaas concluded by noting changes in modern leadership expectations: “The age of the imperial CEO is over.” Today's leaders must embrace collaboration and rely on their teams' expertise.