Senior executives face two main jobs. The first is to keep their organization running in tricky times, making money. The second is to anticipate the future, innovating as the pace of change continually accelerates.
Leader is a big word. For many, it evokes an image of a stern, accomplished person calling the shots, signing off on every detail, and voluntarily carrying the weight of an organization on their shoulders. This person is not infallible, but they are treated as such. Employees may look to them with high esteem, but find them intimidating or even unapproachable. Reverence is an enticing quality, but it quietly stunts growth and hinders progress.
"Ok guys, we've shipped v2. Congrats, now lets start working on v3!" Sounds innocuous right? Maybe even inspiring. But in actuality this call to action might be a sign of trouble. Why?
Many people try to define leadership in broad terms, but part of success is recognizing that every organization requires a different style of leadership. To jumpstart your own organization’s talent pipeline, it’s important to create an internal leadership development program.
When we think of leadership strategy, one of the most critical aspects is effective partnerships between leaders within an organization to drive shareholder value. What’s not commonly considered is the ability of groups of leaders to act across boundaries (across companies) to implement strategies that help achieve business goals.