CAMPBELL SAYS, “I must under-stand more today than I did yesterday, and I must be better equipped to do something today than I was yesterday. I have always been that way…”

This trait inspires Campbell’s management philosophy, “I encourage people to step out from where they are,” he says, “to expose themselves to growth opportunities.

”Campbell has a thought-provoking metaphor for the leader’s role. Try it on for size:

Campbell asks,“Have you ever stood in a swimming pool and caught a leaping four-year-old? The first time you see the hesitation, fear and excitement on the child’s face.

“After the first leap, however, you can’t stop the youngster from climbing out and leaping in again and again.”

That, in a nutshell, is his idea of leadership.

But wait, the leader isn’t the adult in thispicture — it’s the child.

Campbell points out that “Managers today are leaping into waters of risk, constant change and increasingly tougher competition - and it’s scary.

”Who is there to catch a manager leaping into uncertain business conditions? Campbell’s answer is: “The people in our organizations. What will save us is the creativity and commitment of our employees, the skills and knowledge of a diverse organization. What we leaders have to do is, like the child on the edge of the pool, trust our people.

”Of course, Campbell adds, “Trust means doing one crucial thing before taking that leap: untying our employees’ hands so that they can, in fact, catch us when we jump.