Case study: Tough Lessons on the Road to Leadership
That our organisations need better leadership if they are to survive and prosper in these turbulent times has become a truism. Simply stated, leaders are people who: establish new direction, gain the support, cooperation and commitment of those they need to move in that new direction and motivate them to overcome obstacles in the way of the company's goals. We also agree on what leadership is not. Leadership differs from management, an equally valuable but different set of activities. Leadership development is not a smooth, continuous or incremental process, but is punctuated by inflection points. These key junctures, which Herminia Ibarra (2004) calls leadership transitions, are the points in a person's career at which they either learn how to lead or become derailed. A transition is a move into a new role - whether formal assignment, a
project, or a role imposed by an unexpected event such as a crisis - which is so fundamentally different that the old ways of operating are no longer valid or effective.
Consider the experience of Anne - After a steady rise through the functional ranks in logistics and distribution, Anne found herself blind-sided by a proposal for a radical reorganisation that came from outside her division. Accustomed to planning for annual improvements in her basic business strategy, she failed to notice shifting priorities in the wider market. Although she had built a loyal, high-performing team, she had few networks outside her group to help her anticipate the new imperatives. Worse, she was assessed by her boss as lacking the broader business picture. Frustrated, Anne contemplated leaving. Anne's predicament is not unusual.
The most common learning challenges for aspirational leaders are the following:
F learning to see, not just produce good ideas
F communicating clear messages that have emotional impact
F delegating and involving others
F improving social skills, such as empathy, listening and coaching.
Consider the experience of Jeff - he is a general manager of a consumer product subsidiary, and was praised by his company for his turnaround skills. But after three or four successful assignments he found himself in trouble at all levels. His relationship with an older, more conservative colleague in marketing suffered from miscommunication and mutual lack of trust. At each point of disagreement Jeff had taken over, at times doing his colleague's job. After this, he received his first poor performance review. His manager questioned his ability to delegate and to communicate laterally with other groups within the company. He sought and gained
the motivation, practice and feedback that ultimately broadened his leadership style.
These examples suggest that the leadership transition can provoke deep self-questioning: Who am I? What do I want to become? What do I like to do? Do I have what it takes to learn a different way of operating? Is it me? Is it worth it?
Ibarra suggests that there are three things in particular that can help support leaders to change; motivation, practice and feedback, and coaching.
If we consider Anne and Jeff's transitions, in each case the most important changes to be made involved not skills but values . . . with greater attention to the leadership transition as a personal passage, organisations will better prepare promising managers for leading roles in the business.
Source: Ibarra, H. (2004) 'Tough lessons on the road to leadership', Financial Times, 5 August, 2004, p. 11
1. From definitions and discussion at the beginning of the unit and key points raised in this illustration, what do you consider to be the main differences between management and leadership? Share your response with others to assess whether there is a general consensus.
2. The illustration suggests that leadership development 'is not a smooth, continuous or incremental process, but is punctuated by inflection points'. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your arguments with theoretical frameworks and examples you may have from your own experience or through examples you have researched in the general business domain.
3. In relation to the 'management of change' is there anything that Anne and Jeff could have done in relation to their roles to have assessed their environment more effectively and help them better prepare for the changes within their organisations?
4. From areas discussed in this unit, is there anything the organisation could have done to better assist Anne and Jeff for the changes in their roles.