Talking heads: Leigh Warren

Position: Managing director

Company: Oracle New Zealand

Staff: 150


What makes your day at work?


When I see people working together towards an end point, and achieving it. I find that pleasing because, along the way, I see them develop. and get enjoyment out of it. You don't always get everything in one go, but when it does come together it's rewarding for everybody.

When did you become a manager?


I was around 25 when I became the sales and marketing manager of a technology distribution company in the UK. For the first time I had to think long term and set plans. Until then I had been more reactive, following a path that somebody else had set. And I also had the challenges and opportunities of managing people for the first time. It was an exciting time.

What was the most important lesson you learned on your way up?


The importance of climate in an organisation - the environment has to be right to get people focused on the right things. Senior management needs to keep a temperature on that, and make sure the environment supports what it wants. You can feel a climate. Is it a place where there's open communication, teams and clear personal development plans? When the environment is right then you have to think it's a good place to work and, particularly in the IT sector where there are a lot of opportunities for people, you have to make a workplace attractive.

What has been your best moment in business?


In South Africa we launched, in a joint venture, a company called Tandem. It was a global IT manufacturer that had a high value set - it had never done business in South Africa because of the sanctions and apartheid. It was probably the most difficult year of my life, but also the most satisfying, because we started it from scratch. We set the values and principles of the business. After a year we had a big sense of achievement.

How have you dealt with the pitfalls in your career?


I always go with my instinct. I think you know what you should or shouldn't be doing. I also try to keep a perspective on things, and my wife, Ros, is a big help in that regard. I figure out what to do and move on.

What annoys you most?


A lack of transparency. If we are doing anything, we should all be working towards trying to do the same thing. If there's a lack of transparency, it means someone, somewhere, doesn't want to do that. I don't see any positive benefit in that approach. Robust dialogue is good, but playing games annoys me.

If you were starting over again, what would you be?


I would have done something which is far more entrepreneurial. I've generally worked in the corporate world, and I've enjoyed that, but I would have liked to have the courage to go out and do something on my own. If it was now, I would do something around the internet. There's more to give up later in life, so the risky decisions are harder.

What management wisdom is most overrated?


That management or executives should make most of the decisions. It's important to have a strong management team that sets direction, but after that nine times out of 10 the best people to make a decision are the ones closest to it. People like passing decisions up, but the further away you get from the decision point, the less likely you are to get a good decision. But when they're made, the decisions need support.

What will be the big business issue of the next decade?


The full realisation of how the internet is going to change the way we do business. Over the next 10 years it will change the way we enter markets and the way organisations work together. The follow-on from that will be huge social and human resources changes as people figure out how it affects them.

How do you relax?


Working and my family are the only two things I do with my life, but when I get a bit of spare time I enjoy reading.

* Leigh Warren talked to Paula Oliver.