The article The NY Jets’ Mike Tannenbaum and SAP’s Bill McDermott: Creating Leaders On and Off the Field in Knowledge@Wharton has some interesting pointers for all R&D managers.

1. Provide precise and candid feedback (even when negative):

“The most important thing a leader can do is give people feedback,” McDermott said, recalling a meeting where an executive was complaining about a mistake made by an employee. “‘What did he say when you told him about it?’ I asked, but there was silence.” Employees deserve the respect of candor, McDermott noted, and they need to know what is expected of them and have a clear understanding of their employer’s strategy and culture.

2. Provide a big long-term vision that can get the team excited.

McDermott and Tannenbaum agreed that a leader has to focus on promoting an overall vision for his or her organization rather than dwelling on the small stuff.
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“Our thing is to go big or go home,” McDermott said, noting that SAP has had many opportunities to buy companies that would catapult the firm into a new business category.

3. Be careful in selecting team members and look beyond resume / technical capabilities:

“When he was on the cell phone in the car, did he treat the person on the other end with respect? … How did he act with the waitress? Your character is what you do when no one is looking. That will make for a better team, where everyone knows what everyone else’s job is, and we all work together.”

Something we can all learn…