Tales of an accidental leader

Patrick O’Neill, interim dean of the Nistler College, recounts ‘accidents’ throughout UND career that informed his views on leadership

When Patrick O’Neill joined UND’s faculty in 1987 as an assistant professor of Economics, one of the last things he expected was to be the department chair only months into the job.

“I thought, ‘I don’t even have tenure,’” O’Neill remarked.

But when the interim chair at the time begged O’Neill to submit his name for the job, O’Neill felt compelled.

In an interview with all members of the department present, O’Neill was asked, “Why do you want to be chair?”

Almost 40 years later, now serving as interim dean for the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration, O’Neill said he remembers only what he was told once he had the job.

“What the other person interviewed said was, ‘I want the extra money,’” O’Neill said.

This inspired O’Neill’s first lesson shared during his Feb. 11 talk as part of UND’s 18:83 Speaker Series: interviews matter.

“I had no idea that I would be interviewed,” O’Neill quipped. “I didn’t prepare, but I should have.”

Throughout the academic year, UND’s 18:83 Speaker Series invites people from UND and the local community to share their perspectives on leadership in a short timeframe — 18 minutes and 33 seconds — that corresponds with the University’s founding year.

Titling his talk “Tales of an accidental leader,” O’Neill said it’s often the case that leadership opportunities present themselves without being sought — another lesson he’s learned through a long career at UND. His time on stage recounted several “accidental” moments of his tenure.

Answer the call

Once he was named department chair, O’Neill held the position for 10 years. By then, he was a full professor.

But not long after he stepped down as chair, he was called to the dean’s office and asked to assist the sole associate dean at the time, when needed.

He wanted the weekend to think about it, as he was enjoying not having administrative responsibilities. But it took only one conversation with his wife to help him make up his mind.

“I called that night to say I’m going to do it,” O’Neill said. “The lesson from that: answer the call. When asked to serve, please do so.”

His experience with the dean’s office led to his next “incident” (note: not an accident this time, as it was of his own volition) of applying to become one of two associate deans.

During that interview, when asked on a scale of one to 10 how “hungry” he was for the job, O’Neill said he was at a six.

It wasn’t the answer the dean was looking for.

“He said, ‘That’s kind of disappointing,” O’Neill recalled. “‘I thought you might say, like, eight or nine.’”

What O’Neill realized was that it was the same answer he had given before, when previously interviewed. He didn’t need the associate dean position to feel like he’d had a satisfying career.

What could he say this time to get picked?

“In terms of how hungry I am, it’s a six out of 10,” O’Neill quoted. “But if you pick me for this job, I will give you an 11 out of 10 in effort.”

The lesson? Interviews still matter — a lesson he had to learn twice.

Virtues of good leaders

Through other “incidents and accidents” such as becoming the full-time associate dean, leading UND’s reaccreditation effort and most recently becoming the interim dean of the Nistler College, O’Neill was able to reflect on them to characterize what he thinks makes a “good leader.”

From those prior experiences, he learned other lessons in addition to “interviews matter” and “answer the call”:

• Don’t wait too long to say no
• Be willing to push yourself

On being a good leader, O’Neill said that such people are competent and confident without arrogance, and they cultivate virtue.

Acknowledging that there are many definitions of virtue, he quoted author Alexandre Havard in saying, “Virtue is a habit of the mind, the will and the heart, which allows us to achieve personal excellence and effectiveness.”

O’Neill asked his audience to think about the virtues they might cultivate as good leaders.

For his part, O’Neill zeroed in on fortitude and joy.

“Any leader will have to make decisions that they know are right, but that are kind of tough, and other people aren’t going to like them,” O’Neill remarked. “Having the fortitude or the courage to do the right thing, even in the face of opposition, is important.”

The role of joy in leadership is something he learned from a keynote by the former CEO of Cargill, Greg Page.

“If he was distraught, his lack of joy transmitted throughout the building,” O’Neill said. “If he came in cheerful, it made a big difference to everyone there. That stuck with me.”

The next installment of the 18:83 Speaker Series will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 25. It will feature Eric Schmidt, head coach of the Fighting Hawks football team.