“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
In an uncertain world buffeted by changing customer expectations, intense competition, supply chain issues, inflation and geo-political tensions, it is the most challenging time for the CEO of the organisation.
Even in these turbulent times, some companies are performing exceptionally well. Analysing more than 100 companies across industries there are some unique factors among leadership teams that help these companies outperform.
They create a Company-first culture.
Senior leaders in these companies encompass a company-first culture. They do what is right for the organisation and its employees instead of pursuing their personal agendas. Their motto is simple – The team comes first, not the individual.
They think and act across the enterprise.
The leadership teams recognise that they need to look at the entire organisation instead of the individual units they manage. They share data across individual silos and commit to a common set of governance so that the data can be used across the organisation and benefit the entire organisation overall.
They focus on reinventing the business relentlessly.
Strong leadership teams take bold steps in reimagining the business rather than running their individual units well. This could include running the business with discipline, managing costs, and simplifying processes. They are willing to take bold actions to reimagine their business and portfolios and do so with a sense of urgency.
They free up the right people for the difficult work.
Reinventing the business requires a dedicated team free from day-to-day operational management, that can focus on the hard questions and delegate the day-to-day operations to others.
It is all the more important to choose the right person for the initiative who can focus all his attention on the transformation efforts. The person should be able to drive leadership commitment, ensure organisational readiness and make the business sustainable.
They’re inclusive of different skills and backgrounds.
High-quality teams are inclusive of genders, and ethnicities and also encourage diverse views and skill sets. It is essential to have diversity in the team to bring fresh perspectives and expertise that would help an organisation innovate and speed up transformations.
They encourage healthy debates but respect fellow members.
Good teams have healthy debates, transparency and explore alternatives. the first step is to engage in an open discussion. The team should allow a free flow of information, and perspectives as well as engage in a healthy debate and come together unanimously once a decision is taken.
They strive to be humble and objective.
Humility is an essential quality that all CEOs and senior leaders should have to ensure that this filters down to every member of the organisation. The focus should be on the opportunity of the future rather than the success of the past. Leaders should objectively assess their past performance, and keep tabs on the competition as well as other stakeholders.
We cannot reasonably predict what the future will bring but we can be sure that this environment would reward high-performing teams. this would drive growth, and create more value for customers and employees.
How the Best Leadership Teams Navigate Uncertain Times
by Tim Ryan
June 22, 2023
R2G 