LEADERSHIP AS THE STARTING POINT OF STRATEGY

BY:VINTI DUBEY

A good plan is only as good as its execution Identify opportunities, but the results fall short of aspiration The reason not recognize by many

Mismatched Capabilities Poor Asset Configurations Inadequate Execution Not Recognize The Leadership Capacity

 Leaders generate breakthroughs in performance Create something new Launching a new product Entering a new market Quickly attaining better operational performance at lower cost Multidimensional

UNUSUAL

Increased strategic dimension and initiatives increases pressure on leadership Companies lofty aspiration Poor performance of the company Larger leadership gap

Higher aspirations More radical shift in strategic direction Expanding operations, developing new business Cultural shift, unfamiliar geographies

Last minute scrambling to fill the gaps Additional responsibilities on the leaders Work demand increases & time decreases Resulting in less tangible outcomes Decreased effectiveness

Suboptimal leadership Inexorable decline in quality leaders No time to develop younger talent Left with less experienced, ill-prepared group of successors Strategic growth at risk

Decide well in advance who will going to get work done Availability of sufficient number of good leaders Realizing best path for strategy Revise its aspirations Develop leaders internally or Higher leaders from outside

Plan path to a predetermined strategic goal While taking under consideration Quantity, Timing, Mix of Leaders for various alternatives Companys appetite for risk Knowing leadership strengths of its leaders

LONG TERM Start today to meet the objective 2-3 years down Local leaders with global perspective are most sought after A decade groomed potential leader Building internal networks Investment in human assetsHired best global talent & rotate them to every critical aspect of its operations

Groom leaders for specific roles for 1-2 years Recognize the skills,behaviour & mind-set Select leaders well in advance & bring them up to speedBy counseling Training New assignments Individual profiles Success factors for position

Enroll leaders in self-directed preparatory programs Follow four learning modules Lead self" for self awareness, skill mastery & development planning Lead others" for getting best performance from colleagues Lead change" for aligning key stakeholders, steering organization, challenging conventional approaches & thinking

Job experiences & stretch assignments Opportunities for performance goal & developing best people By looking at track records, job experiences are not reliable indicator for success

Better Approach Use corporate performance objectives & personal development goals with opportunities Acquire holistic understanding of each individual Recognize professional abilities & personal traits Provide opportunities to maximum potential leaders

Strategy will not succeed in void Leadership makes difference in reaching for opportunities & actually realizing it Must close leadership gap through short, middle & long term approaches Integrate leadership with strategy & leaders with opportunities