John Bachmann delivered his keynote address
May 6 at the inaugural Kellogg School Business Leadership
Conference in the Donald P. Jacobs Center. Bachmann, managing
partner of Edward Jones and a 1962 Kellogg graduate, was awarded
the 2003 Kellogg Award for Distinguished Leadership.
The award was created by the Kellogg Business
Leadership Club, a student-run organization, with the assistance
and support of the Office of the Dean. The award reinforces
the importance of leadership at the Kellogg School and it
recognizes an individual who embodies the school's spirit
and ideals.
During his address, Bachmann offered personal
anecdotes, lessons and "defining moments" from his
career, conveying leadership insights that he said were gained
through many years of close observation of other executives.
He noted the importance for him of Peter Drucker's theories
of management, particularly with regard to designing models
that are responsive to the modern knowledge worker's needs.
Bachmann likened his role as a leader to that of an orchestra
conductor trying to get the best performance out of a large
and disparate group of people. "But as a conductor I
have to remember that my instrument is a baton, and a baton
alone makes no music," said Bachmann.
Bachmann also emphasized his view of the leader
as a guardian. "As leader, I'm the keeper of the culture
and values of an organization," he said.
Bachmann serves on the boards of several philanthropic,
academic and civic organizations. Under his leadership, Edward
Jones ranked No. 1 on Fortune magazine's annual list of the
"100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for
the second consecutive year in 2002. Fortune noted that 97
percent of the employees praised management's honesty.