Each year, the top executives in the world snap up Bain & Company'smanagement tools survey to learn which instruments their counterparts use to drive and sustain growth, and which instruments have fallen out of favor. Each year, the document contains a glaring omission: an address book containing the telephone number of the survey's founder, Bain director Darrell Rigby.
Bain clients, regardless of whether they have a current engagement with the firm, frequently contact Rigby to gauge his thinking on business issues, reports Dell CEO Kevin Rollins. "I stay in contact with Darrell to get advice on a number of issues," says Rollins, who worked with Rigby at Bain for 12 years before joining Dell in 1996. "He's someone you want to have in your Rolodex."
What Rigby values most about his own Rolodex is the diversity it has accumulated during his work as head of Bain's worldwide retail practice and his work in helping clients in all industries to harness innovation. "It's occasionally comfortable to be around people who agree with you and see the world very much the same way that you do, but it doesn't lead to much growth," Rigby notes. "The most fascinating conversations I have are with people who see the world very differently."
That curiosity has kept Rigby's skills sharp. "Many folks, as they take on increasingly senior positions in their organizations, tend to shed various capabilities because they have more people working for them," Rollins notes. "Darrell never did that. He could operate autonomously if he needed to, which is impressive for a senior partner at a major consulting firm."
Yet autonomy is the furthest thing from Rigby's mind at Bain, which he says has imparted "life-changing lessons" about the power of teams. "The world is such a complicated place," he says. "Each of us views it through a unique window of personal experiences, and none of us has enough experience to present a holistic perspective. But if a diverse team of experts can share their analysis and views honestly, then an eye-opening picture of reality comes into such focus that it makes decisions far more productive and profitable."
Early in his career, Rigby, now 52, profited from a lesson that showed him the value of three management tools he still relies on today: a good suit, a sharp wit, and, above all, a soft touch.
When Rigby headed east from his native California for a summer internship with Bain in 1977, he says, he dressed "like a beachcomber." The firm's founder quickly took note. "But Bill Bain didn't want to embarrass me, so he gave all summer associates a $500 clothing allowance and told us to buy a business suit that would project professionalism," Rigby recalls. "I learned in that very first week how a good consultant can help people to improve with pride. When Bill saw me the following week, he asked if I had purchased the new suit. I told him I had purchased 10 of them. His heart stopped — until he realized I was kidding." — E.K.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.