Watkins Wellness, the Vista-based company that makes and markets hot tubs and aquatic fitness products like swim-in-place vessels, offers a host of training programs for its more than 3,000 global employees.
Among those is its Leadership Academy — a 14-week multi-disciplined and cross-functional program designed to help expand employees’ knowledge of the overall company.
“The more you know about how this business ticks and the why’s behind our decisions, the more valuable your opinions will be,” said Steve Hammock, the company’s energetic 62-year-old president. “And we try to get good ideas from everybody.”
Hammock discussed the company’s commitment in mid-October, just moments after congratulating the most recent class of Leadership Academy graduates. This interview has been condensed for space and clarity.
Why did your business make this investment in leadership?
We’re a fast-growing company and it’s hard to find people and keep people. And the reality is that if you invest in your people, they are going to stay.
What’s your definition of leadership?
Leaders set a vision, do the right thing and set the tone for the organization. A leader has to be the communicator-in-chief, get everybody on the same page. You have business success when you have engaged employees. And to get engaged employees, you need to rally around a shared set of goals, a shared set of values and principles and a shared direction. The leader is the one providing all that.
Are there certain qualities you look for in potential leaders?
I think the No. 1 difference between people who make it to the top and otherwise really smart people who don’t is the ability to make a decision on time. There’s a lot of backbenchers in the world who have all sorts of opinions about what everyone else is doing. But until they get in the chair, well, now it’s your turn. And people can’t pull the trigger or they can’t make a tough decision or they can’t fire anybody or they can’t do whatever. So decision-making is really the key.
I think the three skills that we don’t teach enough in this country anymore that are absolutely paramount to doing anything in life well is think, talk and write.
I want people who can think. Everybody’s smart, but who can connect the dots quickly? Who can see the big picture? Who can make an argument? That’s what thinking is.
Talking. You have to be able to have a one-on-one where I’m going to deliver bad news to an employee I’m giving a review to, and you’ve got to command the room. You’ve got to stand in front of the group and persuade a large group of people to be on your side.
And writing is the lost art in this world. People can’t write anymore. You have to be able to communicate difficult ideas on paper. That is a separator.
Then my last one is energy. I like high-energy people. I like passionate people. It doesn’t mean people who are more reserved are not competent or capable. But here we’re about team. We’re about rallying. We’re about being communicators-in-chief. We’re about getting everybody ready to just charge the building and knock down the door.
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Leadership winner, large company: Steve Hammock of Watkins Wellness - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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