[WARNING: Extremely contrarian, likely-to-be-unpopular, very-un-progressive opinion follows.] I was just interviewed about leadership. One question was, survey XYZ of businesspeople said we desperately need a new style of leadership. Do you agree? (inclusive, decentralized, valuing different, etc.) I thought about it for a moment and realized that I would have said yes a few years ago. But now, no, I dont agree. I realized that Ive been hearing that refrain for the entirety of my work life, and it is just as impassioned now as it was back when. And if Ive been hearing it the whole time, it means that the response to that message has been minimal during that time, and yet, the economy still exists and goods and services still get delivered. Theyve been teaching and writing about that refrain since In Search of Excellence in the early 1980s. And its certainly part of the popular business zeitgeist. And yet ... and yet... The evidence is clear: many, many, MANY businesses have continued to operate and thrive based on the old command-and-control, underpay-and-over-demand, devalue-creativity models. Perhaps a more nuanced view would be: 1) if youre in an industry where creativity and initiative *truly* makes a difference in your product or service, *AND* 2) your competitors are adopting new leadership practices that increase creativity and initiative, then 3) YES, we desperately need a new style of leadership to stay competitive. Or ... 1) if you intrinsically value happy, high-morale employees who are creative and take initiative and ownership, then 2) YES, we desperately need a new style of leadership. But... 1) if youre in an industry that has successfully used strategy to achieve a stranglehold on your customers, and 2) you dont have any competitors who can plausibly disrupt your business using new leadership, THEN 3) keep your existing abusive, dictatorial, oppressive style. Because unless you personally want to change because it suits your value system, there is no pressing need that would force the change upon you.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:07:56 +0000
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