Keeping things in perspective: How Ray Malone leads
What should a leader never say or do?
“You should never expect more than is reasonable from people,” Malone says. “If someone has a crisis and needs something, we just do it. Their family and home is the most important thing.”
“I never humiliate people or anything like that. What I do that a lot of executives don’t do is apologise. I love it when my staff gang up on me – it’s fabulous. What it tells me is that the culture’s working. It’s the environment that I want. It’s better for the group.”
What elements critical to achieving change?
“Staff buy-in, great leadership and clarity.
“Clarity’s the most important. When you know exactly what to and how to do it in the shortest amount of effort. That’s clarity. There is never a moment when we don’t know exactly what we have to do. And it all comes down to common sense.”
What do you look for in your direct reports?
“Number one: they’ve got our back and are on the same page,” Malone says.
Earlier in our interview, he mentions conciseness as a crucial skill.
“If you were a CFO working for me, and gave me 20 sheets of paper, I’d want to strangle you.
“I’d have to go through 20 sheets of paper to get the simple answer. And the simple answer is one or two things, and that’s what I want. I want everything normalised already, so it’s simple and easy so when I look at it, you can see the whole thing on one page.”
What’s your leadership inspiration?
Asked to nominate how he becomes inspired, Malone nominates a “Mr Limanis”.
When Malone was 15 and living in Clayton South in Melbourne, he was mentored by Limanis, a migrant factory worker.
“I thought he was the king,” Malone says. “This guy had four flats and a house in Surrey Hills. He came here in 1962 with a bag, his wife and kids. He couldn’t speak English. But he created a small world for himself, working hard and looking after his family.
“When you’re start in business, it’s a bit like what I imagine a prison term would be. You work crazy hours. You have no freedom. No choices. You have to do things at certain times. You get no holidays. You’re locked in.
“Whenever things got tough, I would think of him, and think, ‘I’ve got a good grasp on English, and he never did’. He did well by placing one foot after another.”
Today, Malone draws inspiration from the business leaders he has surrounded himself with.
“At the moment, the founder of Seek is one of my neighbours. I’ve got the former CEO of Merrill Lynch as another. I’ve got all these people around me who look at life differently.
“I’m like a sponge; I love learning. It’s really quite exciting.”
What was the most challenging moment of your career?
Malone hesitates, and says he probably hasn’t had it yet.
Then he tries a different tact.
“My life’s been a challenging moment I suppose. I lost my parents when I was young. I had to work crazy hours just to live. I’ve gone from living in an old tram near a cemetery, to commission flats in North Melbourne. I’ve had to learn everything. I had little formal education. I had no real family support.
“And now my life’s fabulous compared to what it was.
“But I’ve always thought how lucky I am. There are people who live on tips [or] people with serious disabilities. I’ve been blessed.”
Myriam Robin is a reporter for SmartCompany and its sister site LeadingCompany. She has degrees in economics, international studies and journalism. She likes writing about businesses taking risks and doing new things.
