By Bob Staton
Pete Selleck enjoyed a long and successful career at Michelin before he retired from his position as chairman and president of Michelin North America at the end of last year. We recently invited him to the Presbyterian College campus to speak with business students about what he learned in his career.
At PC, our Robert M. Vance Lecture Series on Business Ethics gives our future business leaders the opportunity to hear first-hand from leaders in the business world. But we’ve found that what business leaders who come to campus talk about often applies to business leaders like you as much as it applies to our students.
Work Ethics
Mr. Selleck served in the Army before he began his career at Michelin. He spoke about situations in his military and professional career that presented ethical dilemmas. Mr. Selleck told the true story about a time a manager was violating a company policy. The manager’s subordinates were faced with a dilemma: Should they report the violation? Or should they keep quiet because they’re afraid of what the manager would do if he found out who reported him?
“If you are a leader, you’ve got to understand that if you have subordinate leaders, they’re going to possibly see things that are wrong. They won’t always have the courage to report it,” Mr. Selleck said.
So what can you do to help your subordinates? You can’t blame them for being afraid that their managers may retaliate against them. Subordinates certainly don’t want to put their job on the line.
Mr. Selleck says that creating a work environment that values ethics is one of your responsibilities as a leader.
“It’s important that leaders create an environment where subordinates feel comfortable telling the truth. If they see something that’s not right, they need to say something,” he said.
Mr. Selleck also shared what happened when a company commander issued a false report and another story about what happened when Mr. Selleck immediately reported a problem. Also, he spoke about the 1996 Firestone and Ford Explorer case to relay that it’s important to always treat customers with respect. And he told the true story about one of his subordinates not accepting a bribe from a border patrol guard in a third-world country to illustrate that you should always do what’s right.
“Ethics and integrity are differentiators for companies and for individuals,” Mr. Selleck said. “If you’re an ethical person and people trust you, you will be surprised at how important that will be in your career.”
I’m sure you know how true this is.
Always Be Prepared
Mr. Selleck went on to share what he learned during his international business career. He told students that part of his success came from simply being prepared. Since Michelin is a French company, Mr. Selleck knew how important it was to learn to speak French.
“Mastering foreign languages and cultures helps you understand how people think, particularly those who don’t share your nationality,” he said.
Mr. Selleck said his bachelor’s degree in engineering and MBA also made him well-prepared during his time at Michelin. Plus, his leadership experiences in the Army and at Michelin taught him how to serve others. Mr. Selleck said that being decisive, taking intelligent risks, and having fun further contributed to his success. And he said to always be prepared for change.
“Change is continuous, and continuous learning is essential,” Mr. Selleck said. “Never get too comfortable, especially when things are going well.”
We all know the dangers of becoming complacent.
Good Character Matters
Mr. Selleck shared his observations on character, ethics, and reputation, too.
“It’s important to develop good habits when you’re young because those habits will carry you forward as you move on in your life,” he said.
Mr. Selleck said to develop good character even in small things.
“People with poor character may win in the short-term. You may see people cheat, lie, or do things they shouldn’t do and win in the short-term. But oftentimes they’re going to hit the wall,” he said. “But people with good character will win in the long-term, and that’s primarily because they can live with themselves.
“As a leader, the morale and culture of your organization is determined by what you accept. Leaders are responsible for setting the ethical standards for their organizations.”
How do you set ethical standards?
Your Career Shouldn’t Be Your Top Priority
Mr. Selleck said your life is much more than your career. It’s important to find what you’re passionate about and that simply focusing on a career or making money is “fraught with danger.”
Many of us struggle with maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Working too much could lead to burnout, or even worse, you could miss out on important things in your life. And if you don’t put enough hours in, the work doesn’t get done. Mr. Selleck says it’s a good idea to take a step back and prioritize your life.
“The top priority, I believe, should be your purpose. This can be spiritual, religious, or philosophical, and it’s basically what your life stands for,” Mr. Selleck said. “Your next priorities should be your family and your friends, your health, and then your career.
“This doesn’t mean that your career’s not important, but you should balance the other priorities in your life.”
Serve Others
PC’s motto is “Dum Vivimus Servimus.” It’s Latin for “While we live, we serve.” We try to create a culture on campus in which our students see the value of serving others. We like our students to continue serving others after they graduate.
Mr. Selleck spoke about the value of serving others.
“I think it’s also important to focus on other people. If you’re a leader, you should be a servant leader. You’re here to serve people,” he said. “You’re not a leader because you’re better than other people you manage. You’re a leader because you have certain talents and responsibility to serve the people that are working for you.”
I’m sure it was a treat for our students to hear such an accomplished man talk about a subject so close to PC’s mission. And it’s a good reminder for us all.
One Last Point
Mr. Selleck didn’t close his talk by passing along a key to success that he learned from his time as chairman and president of such a large, successful company like Michelin. Instead, he closed his talk by passing along the advice that his father gave him when he was first going off to West Point.
“He said, ‘First of all, always do your best.’ Never be afraid to get out of your comfort zone because that’s how you grow,’” Mr. Selleck said. “‘Keep a low profile.’ It’s about humility. It’s not always about us. ‘And maintain your sense of humor.’ Things are going to go wrong. Your ability to be resilient and offset that by laughing is a really good thing.”
Bob Staton is the president of Presbyterian College.
