By Michael Collins, Managing Principal, EquiNova
A friend has been raving about a book that tells the story of an important Hollywood figure you’ve probably never heard of. Salka Viertel, heroine of The Sun and Her Stars, played a huge role in filmmaking during the 1930s by helping many of Europe’s greatest artists escape from Nazi Germany, come to the United States, and find roles as directors, actors, composers, and more. Sunday afternoons at Viertel’s Santa Monica home were the place where Europeans could find a link to the Old World and introductions to the New World’s movie industry leaders. Her rank in the Hollywood hierarchy was low, but her influence was huge. Here’s a description of a meeting between MGM’s Irving Thalberg and composer Arnold Schoenberg–two stubbornly independent legends of their craft–that Viertel set up and subtly influenced:
Salka … was the mutual contact who first made it possible for the composer and the producer to meet. She was the diplomat with a firm grasp of the complexities of both milieus, who took the trouble to issue honest warnings about each man’s expectations. … She was the conduit here between two uncompromising sensibilities, and without her mediating presence it is very likely that there would have been no comprehension and perhaps no meeting whatsoever. Indeed, after the two famous men had circled each other cautiously, each walked away with a respect for the other that came about completely through Salka’s nuanced efforts.
Leaders often are pictured as generals giving orders to frightened troops or as coaches yelling instructions to players on the field. They are described far less often as connectors, facilitators, counselors, and negotiators. But I would argue that the best leaders spend more of their energies bringing people together than telling them where to go.
These leaders create the kind of company culture that attracts buyers. Having a connector and a communicator on the leadership team also smooths the path when that company acquires another firm. In this summer of hot-tempered dialogue, does your company have a Salka Viertel in the executive ranks? If not, consider looking for this skill in your next hire, or work on that talent yourself.
