Flexibility,Agility,Innovation(Part2)

LeadershipCultureACaseStudyUsingTLCsLeadershipCultureSurvey ByBobAndersonFounder,CEOTheLeadershipCircle LastmonthwediscussedhowTheLeadershipCirclecanbeusedtocreateamoreinnovative, flexible,andagileleadershipcultureinanorganization.ThisLeadershipQuarterlydiscussesPart TwoonthistopicacasestudyexampleofhowTheLeadershipCultureSurveydescribes preciselywhatisneededforaspecificorganizationtobemoreagile,flexible,andinnovative. ACaseStudyinBrief Iwasrecentlyaskedtoconsultwiththeseniorteamofalargeglobalcompanywithrevenuesin excessof$10billion.Iwasintroducedtothisteambyoneoftheconsultingorganizationsthat usesTheLeadershipCircleassessments.TheyhadjustconductedourLeadershipCultureSurvey withthetopthreelevelsofthisorganization.Theyaskedmetositinonthesurveyfeedbackand interprettheresultswiththeseniormanagementteam.Iknewverylittleabouttheorganization andsoIconfinedmycommentstowhatIsawinthenumbersoutlinedinbriefbelow. TheLeadershipCultureSurveyOrganizationalReportGraphicforthetop80managersinthis organizationisdisplayedinFigure1.AcompletedescriptionoftheLeadershipCultureSurveyis beyondthescopeofthisarticle;however,abriefintroductionwillaidinunderstandinghowthe resultsinthiscaseservedtoinitiateaverypowerfuldiscussionabouttheorganizationsability toagilelyandflexiblyinnovate.

 Figure1:LeadershipCultureSurveyOrganizationalSummaryReportGraphic TheLeadershipCulturesurveymeasures31dimensionsofanorganizationsleadershipculture. These31dimensionsaregroupedintoeightSummaryDimensionsandaredisplayedinFigure1. Thesurveymeasuresboththecurrentculture(thecultureyouhave)andtheenvisionedculture (theoneyouwant)oneachofthesedimensions.Withabrieflookattheresultsdisplayedin Figure1,itbecomesobviousthatthecurrentdepictionoftheLeadershipCulture(ingreen)is verydifferentfromthedesired/optimalCulture(theRedLine).Thecurrentleadershipcultureis slightlymoreReactivethanCreative(a45percentilecultureoverall,justbelowthenormfor leadershipculturesmeasuredwiththisassessment),whiletheoptimalcultureisdescribedas veryCreative(anearlytop10percentile,highperformingculture).Clearlythissenior managementteamissayingthatinorderfortheirbusinesstothrive,theyneedtomakea significantshiftintheywaytheyareleadingthebusinessfromReactivetoCreative. Tounderstandthestoryofhowtheseresultsrelatetoinnovation,flexibilityandagility,weneed tolookdeeperintothedataathighestandlowestsubdimensionsmeasuredinthesurvey.In theLeadershipCultureSurveyreport,the31subdimensionsaresortedfromhighestpercentile scoretolowest.Ihaveselectedoutthetopandbottomoftheseliststoelucidatethekey patternsintheresults.Asimplelookatthedatatellsaveryclearandcompellingstorythathas everythingtodowiththisorganizationsflexibility,agilityandinnovativeness.Theseresultsare listedinTable1andTable2.

Thestrongestinfluencesinthecurrentleadershipcultureofthisorganization(topleftofTable 1)suggestanoverlyconservative,cautious,bureaucratic,andevenpassiveculture.Thedriving energyistogoalongtogetalong(Belonging)andnotrocktheboat.Thiscautiousculturemay bedrivenbyatopdown,aggressive,ifnotarrogant,influenceonthisleadershipteam.Whatis mostmissingfromtheleadershipcultureofthisorganization(bottomleftofTable1)isaclear andboldvisionofitsfuture,andvisionthatisbeingtranslatedintoacustomerfocusedstrategy. Inaddition,thisorganizationlackswellrefinedsystemsforexecutingonthosestrategies.In short,theseniormembersofthisorganizationaresayingthattheyaretoocautiousand conservativetobesustainable. Table1:CurrentandOptimalLeadershipCulture StrongestInfluencesintheCurrent StrongestInfluencesintheEnvisioned LeadershipCulture LeadershipCulture Conservative 61% SustainableProductivity 91% Passive 55% StrategicFocus 90% Belonging 54% Decisiveness 87% Autocratic 52% Teamwork 87% Arrogance 52% PurposefulVisionary 86% Critical 51% CourageousAuthenticity 85% WeakestInfluencesintheCurrent WeakestInfluencesintheEnvisioned LeadershipCulture LeadershipCulture SustainableProductivity 43% Arrogance 22% Autocratic 20% SystemsThinker 43% PurposefulVisionary 42% Critical 19% StrategicFocus 40% Conservative 18% CustomerFocus 39% Passive 18% InthecolumnontherightofTable1istheenvisionedculture.Thiscolumndescribesquite preciselywhattheseniorleadersinthisorganizationknowtheyneedtomovetoward(upper rightofcolumn)inordertoestablishandsustainhighperformance.Theyneedwhatisatthe bottomofthelistontheleft.Inotherwords,theyknowtheyneedtotaketheweakest elementsintheirleadershipcultureandturnthemintostrengths.Theyneedtobecomeabold (notconservative)purposeandvisiondrivenorganization.Theyneedtogetgoodatworkingas ateamtodevelopstrategy.Theyneedtodesignorrefinetheirsystemsforexecutingonthe strategyexpeditiously.Theyneedtodevelopthecapabilitytobecourageous,honest,anddirect witheachotherinordertomakethetoughdecisionsthatwillmovethosestrategiesforward.In ordertodoallthis,theyneedtosignificantlyreducetheconservative,bureaucraticthinkingthat iscurrentlydrivingtheorganization.Theyalsoneedtoreducethearrogantandcriticalwaythat theyengageoneanotherinordertohavethekindsofconversationthatwillallowthemtowork togethereffectively(noticethattheseelementsmovefromthetopoftheircurrentculturelist onthelefttothebottomoftheoptimalculturelistontheright).

Table2summarizesthebiggestgapsforthisorganizationbetweentheircurrentleadership cultureandtheiroptimalleadershipculture.Iftheycanclosethesegaps,theywillbewellon theirwaytowardbeingaflexible,agile,andinnovativeorganization. Table2:BiggestGapsBetweentheCurrentandOptimalLeadershipCulture BiggestGapsBetweentheEnvisionedLeadershipCultureandtheCurrentLeadershipCulture StrategicFocus 50% SustainableProductivity 48% PurposefulVisionary 44% Conservative 43% SystemsThinker 42% Decisiveness 41% Teamwork 38% Thesimple,yetpowerfulviewsdisplayedabove(whichcomeoutamoreextensiveLeadership CultureSurveyreport)providedwindowsintothesecretconversationthatthisleadershipteam washavingwithitselftheconversationthathadnotyetmadeittothemeetingrooms.Asthe topmanagementteamexploredtogethertheimplicationsoftheseresults,theynaturally movedintoaconversationabouttheirbusinessthattheyhadbeenwantingtohave,but,for onereasonoranother,couldnot.Theywereabletoacknowledgethatthepatternsinthedata accuratelydescribedtheunsustainablewaytheywereleadingandthattheyneededtobecome muchmorecreative,innovative,bold,strategic,andagile.Afterthemeetingtheycommented thatitwasoneofthebestmeetingstheyhadeverhadasaseniormanagementteamandthe CEOtookmeasideandthankedmysaying,Ihavebeentryingtoteethisconversationupfor sometime.Nowweareinit. ThisexampleshowshowtherichassortmentofwellresearchedCreativeLeadership CompetenciesandReactiveLeadershipStylescombineintheLeadershipCircleassessmentsto establishaveryclearpictureofhowthis(orany)leadershipteamcancreateaculturethat,by anymeasure,wouldbecharacterizedasflexible,agileandinnovative. ThisisthesecondofathreepartseriesonhowtheLeadershipCirclecanbeusedtocreatea moreinnovative,flexible,andagileleadershipcultureinanorganization.Theprevious LeadershipQuarterlyincludedPartOneonthistopicanintroductionintoFlexibility,Agility,and Innovation,andhowthesethreequalitiesareessentialinaleader,despitenotappearing explicitlyonTheLeadershipCircleProfile.ThenextLeadershipQuarterlywillcontainPartThree, whichexploreshowTheLeadershipCircleassessmentsaredesignedtoembedthishigherorder capabilityintotheconsciousnessoftheLeadershipsystemoftheorganizationtoenhancethe complexityofmindoftheleader,andtheorganizationsleadershipsystem,tobewellmatched tothecomplexityofbusinesschallenges.