Thriving in Turbulent Times (Part 3): The Strategic Executor? and the Accountable Collaborator?

The pandemic thrust previously ignored weaknesses into the spotlight. Subsequent disruptions and uncertainty have led to additional issues (inflation, Ukraine, hybrid workplace, etc.). There is no end in sight for the turbulence we do and will face. Past approaches can no longer be depended on to work again. The world has changed.

Despite this, top executives still need help to effectively lead and make necessary changes to prepare for and thrive in the future. Some are steadfast in thinking things will return to a “normal” - where work is back in the office, stability is the norm, and hierarchical leadership “works as it did before.”

Leaders stuck in the past will not survive in an environment where high-performing leaders have let go of these ideas. These leaders challenge past approaches and engage their organizations in resolving challenges and jumping on emerging opportunities.

Business thought leaders like Rita McGrath highlight the need for future readiness and preparedness. 麦肯锡 recently published a study that shows that companies that are more prepared for the future outperform their peers who are not.?Not doing so is courting failure. Why take that risk??

Preparing for the Future

In previous articles, I laid out the case for a new set of capabilities,?THE FIVE LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWERS?, and detailed the first three, Present Futurist?, Experienced Learner?, and Prepared Risk Taker?. To access the first and second installments, go to

In this third installment, I will focus on three weaknesses that persist.

They are:

• Failing to balance and integrate strategy and execution (operations), focusing instead on short-term and urgent, often preventable, issues.
• Perpetuating silos and a “go it alone” approach, failing to foster collaboration across functional and organizational boundaries.
• Focusing on activities (“busyness”) instead of achieving desired outcomes while holding individuals accountable for results they cannot achieve independently.

The Superpowers that address these weaknesses are becoming and staying a Strategic Executor? and an Accountable Collaborator?.

Strategic Executor?

“Strategy without execution is the slowest route to victory, and tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”?—?Sun Tzu from the “Art of War.”

A Strategic Executor recognizes that strategy and execution (operations) are integrally linked and must be considered jointly. They acknowledge that balancing and focusing on strategy AND operations, not one at the expense of the other is critical. They understand that rash decisions in the short term can have long-term implications.

Consider Delta Air Lines ; CEO Ed Bastian said, “When COVID hit, Delta was the most profitable, best-performing airline, not just in the county but in the world, ever.” Delta lost 95% of its business as the pandemic hit. It was a critical time for Delta and the industry.

From the outset, Ed Bastian functioned as a Strategic Executor. By the middle of March 2020, he realized that he and his leadership team did not have answers or know what would happen next. Knowing this, he communicated three principles to guide Delta through the pandemic:

1.????Focus on protecting our people, customers, and their safety.

2.????Protect and be mindful of our cash.

3.????Safeguarding our future.

The third item was unique to Delta. While other airlines began to slash costs by mindlessly and abruptly laying people off, mothballing planes, and alienating customers and employees with poor communications and confusing policies, Delta and Ed Bastian took a different approach.

Unlike other airlines, Delta made decisions based on these three principles. Knowing their strategic and operational plans were no longer relevant; they focused the organization on its principles and values. The company was transparent in its internal and external communications. Rather than firing people, they offered early voluntary retirement before issuing furloughs. They stayed in touch with current and furloughed employees. They knew the business would return and Delta would need their great employees back to succeed — and acted with this in mind.

They took similar steps with customers. They quickly provided credit for canceled flights, eliminated cancellation fees, and dropped lucrative change fees permanently. They extended capacity limits and blocked middle seats longer, emphasizing their focus on safety. This strengthened customer loyalty and generated goodwill through their actions.

As a result of these and other steps, Delta emerged as a stronger brand and company. Because they had not decimated their workforce and company in the process, they ramped up faster when demand returned than other airlines that faced labor strife, challenges bringing people back, and systemic failures. This positioned Delta for a faster, more robust recovery and set it up to pounce on future opportunities. The airline remains higher rated than any other U.S. airline and has been on Fortune ’s list of Most Admired Companies for nine consecutive years.

Here are some tips for becoming and staying a Strategy Executor:

• Encourage and support principle-driven vs. rule-driven execution, allowing for greater flexibility and responsiveness in disruptive and uncertain situations.
• Consider long-term implications before deciding and acting on urgent operational issues. Try not to impair the company’s future with rash decisions.
• Make operational decisions aligned with strategy and adapt as conditions change.
• Address operational challenges while focusing on the longer-term vision and strategy, even under pressure.

During times of disruption and uncertainty, being a Strategic Executor provides employees and customers with a sense of stability through its constancy of purpose and principles. Customers remain loyal because they know the company cares about them and keeps its promises. Employees have greater faith and confidence in leadership and loyalty to the company because their actions align with what they say, and employees know what the company stands for.

Accountable Collaborator?

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”?—?Helen Keller

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”?—?Albert Einstein

Let’s look at each part of the Accountable Collaborator:

• Accountable?has two parts, “account,” referring to a report or description of an event, experience, or time, and “able,” referring to one’s ability to act. Holding someone accountable for something they cannot do due to not being enabled and empowered is inherently unfair.
• Collaborator?at its root is to collaborate. Collaboration is working together as partners to develop something for a shared/common purpose based on a solid relationship built on shared objectives.

Top leaders strive to identify whom (a person) to hold accountable (blame) for something not happening. In a leadership team meeting, a client once said, “I need to know whom to kill if this goal is not met.” Notably, our culture tends to glorify individual heroes versus great teams. Being an Accountable Collaborator flips these concepts on their head.

An Accountable Collaborator recognizes that collaboration across functions and organizational boundaries is necessary to address significant organizational challenges and opportunities that are multi-faceted and complex. Accountability for outcomes (not activities) must rest with the team, as individuals cannot resolve these challenges/opportunities alone. Individuals are accountable to each other for fulfilling their roles and supporting each other. They know achieving desired outcomes is far more valuable than completing activities.

Consider the United States Army Special Operations Command (e.g., SEALs, Green Berets, etc.). The teams are tasked with delivering a specific outcome, such as the capture or elimination of an enemy, the rescue of a group held hostage, or the taking of a particular piece of territory. The teams are formed based on who has the right capabilities needed to achieve the mission and the ability to work with other team members, nothing more, nothing less. The team owns and is held accountable for achieving the desired outcome. The group holds each other accountable for their roles and supports each other. Oversight and direction are outside of the usual command structures. The teams are fluid and fit for purpose. The achievement of the mission determines the team’s success.

The business world thankfully involves few life and death or national security matters, but the same principles still apply. Here are some tips for becoming and staying an Accountable Collaborator:

• Foster collaboration across internal (functions) and organizational (partners, suppliers, competitors, etc.) boundaries when needed to solve complex challenges and achieve strategic objectives.
• Focus the team on clearly understanding, owning, and delivering critical outcomes versus completing activities.
• Facilitates team success by providing timely and adequate resourcing, support for overcoming and removing organizational obstacles, and guidance for navigating challenges.
• Support forming dynamic, fit-for-purpose teams comprised of individuals with the necessary knowledge and capabilities, irrespective of position or level, which can supersede (or overlay) existing organizational structure to deliver critical outcomes.
• Complex, disruptive, and uncertain times demand leaders who foster, enable, and empower nimble, dynamic teams that can deliver results. It’s all about getting the right people on the right bus, going in the right direction, and adapting as conditions change. Accountable Collaborators are essential for success in whitewater environments like those we currently and will continue to face.

This concludes the introduction to each of The Five Leadership Superpowers. In the final two installments, we will discuss how the Superpowers support and reinforce one another, the benefits they collectively deliver, who needs the Superpowers and where they should be applied, and how to start becoming a Superpowered organization.

About the Author

Jay Weiser is the Principal and Founder of?Jay Weiser Consulting. Fueled by a passion for helping clients reach their potential, he enables leadership teams and their organizations to not only survive but thrive in the face of disruptiveness and uncertainty. He does this through:

• Keynote Talks/Executive Briefings
• Education
• Organizational Assessments and Roadmap Development
• Leadership Coaching

To schedule a complimentary discovery call, go to https://calendly.com/jayweiser. During the call, we'll talk about your current situation and challenges, explore how you can address these, and if and how Jay Weiser Consulting can help.

This article was previously published in Reworked (www.reworked.co).

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