The Happy Medium of Leadership
Steven Worth
Strategy and Operations Executive – Equipping Corporate, Nonprofit and Government Organizations to Profitably Capitalize on Global Market Opportunities ? Strategic Planning ? Globalization ? Innovative Funding
Have you noticed?
Staff want to follow the lead of their CEO--particularly if they understand that there is a fact-based rationale behind an initiative. If a CEO moves too independently without consulting staff, staff is likely to be resentful; but if the CEO says and does too little, old habits will fill the vacuum and may even provoke feelings that the CEO is weak or lacking conviction.
If we were to plot a leadership graph it would look like a bell-shaped curve with effective leadership occupying a happy medium where the axis divides an active from an inactive approach for the CEO.
I have also witnessed occasional instances where a new CEO is resented to the point of provoking their departure, but then the wisdom of their actions is appreciated throughout the organization within a year or two after they have left! The CEO's role is indeed a balancing act where fact-based decision making, integrity, and effective communications are key.
Strategy and Operations Executive – Equipping Corporate, Nonprofit and Government Organizations to Profitably Capitalize on Global Market Opportunities ? Strategic Planning ? Globalization ? Innovative Funding
7 年As you can imagine, an outside consultant can play a crucial role as an independent fact-finder, arbiter, auditor, and facilitator. It is not that internal resources couldn't do this themselves; but a consultant with the right credibility and listening and communications skills can make a manger's task of formulating and implementing initiatives a lot easier.