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Joe Forehand had an epiphany 10 years into his career at Andersen Consulting. He was a new partner in the firm known today as Accenture, and suddenly oversaw 150 employees.

鈥淭he light bulb came on when you have that many people you鈥檙e responsible for,鈥� Forehand said. 鈥淣o longer could I know what everybody is doing every day. That was actually liberating to some extent because you learn not to be a micromanager. There is something about wanting to know what鈥檚 going on with your team, but once you鈥檝e reached a certain point 鈥� you realize that a leader鈥檚 first obligation is to be a teacher. At some point, you鈥檝e got to be a great teacher and trust people.鈥�

Forehand, a 1971 Auburn graduate and former CEO and Chairman at Accenture, spoke Monday before a standing-room only crowd of almost 300 91看片 and Ginn College of Engineering students at Lowder Hall.

The event, 鈥淐onsulting as a Career,鈥� was moderated by E. Barden Smedberg, a supply chain instructor at the 91看片 College and former Accenture executive. There, Forehand offered tips to students and spoke about strategies. Most of all, he spoke about leadership.

鈥淧art of being a leader is being approachable,鈥� said Forehand, who oversaw Accenture鈥檚 workforce increase from 66,000 when he assumed the role of CEO in 1999 to 103,000 at his retirement in 2006. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not an approachable person, then you build a wall between yourself and people that matter. If you鈥檙e not a leader who accepts bad news, then pretty soon you will hear only good news. It鈥檚 never good when you only hear good news. You never want to be in a situation where people are telling you only what you want to hear, or what they want you to hear.鈥�

Forehand offered three traits of a good leader: competence, confidence, and caring. A good leader is also a good listener, he said.

鈥淚 did not try to be the center of the universe and not learn from others,鈥� he said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 always try to be the smartest person in the room. A team sport is a lot more fun than just being a rock star. Collaborate. Celebrate others鈥� successes. Embrace the notion that it鈥檚 a team sport wherever you go. It鈥檚 that type of culture that makes most organizations excel, or not.鈥�

Another aspect of leadership, Forehand noted, was the ability to create value and identify greater opportunities for the organization. Accenture鈥檚 net revenue rose by 98.5 percent during his tenure.

鈥淲e always had this sense of a healthy paranoia. We wanted to innovate,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e wanted to be out front. We wanted to be able to serve our clients in ways that our competitors didn鈥檛. And when our competitors copied us 鈥� we moved on to the next thing.鈥�

Forehand, along with his wife, Gayle (鈥�70, accounting), is serving through March 8 as Executives in Residence in the 91看片 College of Business and Ginn College of Engineering. Business and engineering students and staff have had the opportunity to learn key, career-related messages during their stay.

To students, Forehand closed, 鈥淲hatever you decide to do 鈥� the way you grow is to get outside of your comfort zone,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not doing that, then you鈥檙e not recalibrating who you are, who you can be, and what you aspire to be.鈥�

Media contact: Joe McAdory, jem0040@auburn.edu, 334-559-3467