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Yet, one simple "rule of business" remains constant. Your organization's ability to execute is the ultimate determinant of your success. And, when it comes to effective execution your potential roadblocks are many.
At Ford Business Consulting, our specialty is helping organizations overcome obstacles to superior execution by tuning the human system to support the business strategy.read more...
At Ford Business Consulting, our specialty is helping organizations overcome obstacles to superior execution by tuning the human system to support the business strategy.read more...
Trust, risk, and leadership
Wouldn't it be great if everyone in your organization trusted each other? You'd quickly get to the source of problems without wasting time on turf protection or CYA. Many mistakes could be avoided because people would easily ask for help and acknowledge the limits of their expertise.
But that's not the world most people work in. We are often wary, wanting others to trust us but unwilling to trust them first. So the 800 Pound Gorilla (your corporate culture) knows that trusting is too risky and it carries on with CYA and other low trust, counter-productive strategies.
That's why your leadership is important. Trust is a risk game and the leader must ante up first.
Recently an executive was discussing with me his challenges with one of his subordinates. The executive had met one-on-one with his subordinate and was hoping the conversation would help improve the relationship. "I could tell he didn't trust me enough to offer up much about his frustrations and challenges. So I decided to open up with him about my own challenges. It felt risky to put myself out there. But then he did begin to open up. I think we're on a path toward a better working relationship." The executive made a choice to take the risk of talking to his subordinate about the challenges that he felt vulnerable about. The result? Progress in a difficult relationship. Increased trust.
If you want a more trusting organization, be the leader. Ante up first.
By Linda Ford, PhD
New Gorilla E-book Available!
The second Gorilla e-book - "The Gorilla Hates Change: How to Align Culture with Strategy" - is now available.
read more...
But that's not the world most people work in. We are often wary, wanting others to trust us but unwilling to trust them first. So the 800 Pound Gorilla (your corporate culture) knows that trusting is too risky and it carries on with CYA and other low trust, counter-productive strategies.
That's why your leadership is important. Trust is a risk game and the leader must ante up first.
Recently an executive was discussing with me his challenges with one of his subordinates. The executive had met one-on-one with his subordinate and was hoping the conversation would help improve the relationship. "I could tell he didn't trust me enough to offer up much about his frustrations and challenges. So I decided to open up with him about my own challenges. It felt risky to put myself out there. But then he did begin to open up. I think we're on a path toward a better working relationship." The executive made a choice to take the risk of talking to his subordinate about the challenges that he felt vulnerable about. The result? Progress in a difficult relationship. Increased trust.
If you want a more trusting organization, be the leader. Ante up first.
By Linda Ford, PhD
New Gorilla E-book Available!
The second Gorilla e-book - "The Gorilla Hates Change: How to Align Culture with Strategy" - is now available.
Labels: corporate culture, leadership, trust
read more...
Leadership - Does authenticity count?
“When should a leader apologize?” That’s a good question. And the answer in an article by that title in the April, 2006 Harvard Business Review falls far short. The article’s logic focuses heavily on the pragmatic, strategic results of apologies. A leader’s “genuine remorse,” receives only passing mention, “ an apology is extended because it is the right thing to do.” To discuss mistakes and apologies for 9 pages with only this nod at a leader’s need to be authentic is something the authors should apologize for!
When a leader has made a mistake and knows it, not to apologize is to compromise that leader’s integrity and authenticity as a person.
An authentic leader is trusted, an inauthentic one is not. Being willing to own up to a mistake and apologize to those affected is an opportunity to be authentic, to truly lead. If the leader can’t take responsibility for mistakes, how can followers be expected to? Indeed, if the leader is unwilling to be authentic, how can he expect followers to follow???
While strategic apologies can be useful, the ability of a leader to lead fundamentally depends on trust. And trust fundamentally is grounded in authenticity.
read more...
When a leader has made a mistake and knows it, not to apologize is to compromise that leader’s integrity and authenticity as a person.
An authentic leader is trusted, an inauthentic one is not. Being willing to own up to a mistake and apologize to those affected is an opportunity to be authentic, to truly lead. If the leader can’t take responsibility for mistakes, how can followers be expected to? Indeed, if the leader is unwilling to be authentic, how can he expect followers to follow???
While strategic apologies can be useful, the ability of a leader to lead fundamentally depends on trust. And trust fundamentally is grounded in authenticity.
Labels: leadership, trust
read more...