Blog 1 of 6: Leadership and Accountability
This is the first in a series of six blogs that draws on our extensive research involving 75 medium-sized businesses and 1500 leaders. This research has identified six key challenges that these businesses must address to succeed. This blog seeks to explore 1 of the 6 key findings, Leadership and Accountability.
Commonly, business leaders struggle with undefined roles and responsibilities, resulting in a lack of accountability. This often leads to inconsistent decision-making and unclear direction. Additionally, leadership development and succession planning tend to be neglected in favor of daily operational tasks. From our research here are 6 key themes the business leaders have identified to help address these:
Leadership and Accountability: Elevating Beyond Job Descriptions
In the dynamic realm of executive leadership, accountability, and transparency are not just essential; they are foundational for fostering high-performing teams across industries. Effective leadership transcends the basic execution of job descriptions—it involves embodying core organisational values, setting clear expectations, and crucially, fulfilling the promises made to teams and stakeholders.
Your Job Description is Table Stakes
Consider an SLT job description as merely the entry ticket to the game - the larger, more complex arena of leadership. It grants access, but the true measure of leadership is determined by the choices, actions, and interactions that follow. For executive leaders, this extends beyond fulfilling listed responsibilities to proactively closing loops on delivery and ensuring that every team member understands not only what they need to do but also why it matters. What else do you bring to the table? What impact are you making across the business? How are you working outside your functional area to add value?
Role Modeling Values
The impact of a leader's actions and decisions reverberates throughout an organisation. This influence is manifested not just in what is communicated in meetings or emails but in every decision and action taken. Leaders who embody and model values such as courage, agility, and integrity inherently shape and set the organisational tone, guiding their teams by example. People are watching what your senior leaders do, what they don’t do, what they deal with and ignore, how they behave under pressure, and particularly who you hire, fire and promote. That all sets the tone for your culture. Remember, the higher you go in an organisation, the more your actions are amplified.
Simplifying Strategic Priorities
In today’s complex business world, clarity of direction can indeed be a superpower. By simplifying strategic priorities, leaders make them more communicable, understandable and actionable. The true essence of leadership involves shifting from a ‘hands-on’ execution mindset to empowering others—transforming the leadership role from directive to facilitative. This strategic shift is not just about delegation but about empowering entire teams, thereby enhancing the collective capability of leadership groups and middle management. Boil it down to 2-3 simple strategic priorities.
From Leadership to Stewardship
The transition from leadership to stewardship marks a pivotal shift from focusing on individual achievements to fostering collective success. Cultivating a culture where accountability is viewed as a shared commitment to excellence allows organisations to not just progress but thrive. Embracing this ethos helps build a legacy of impactful leadership that drives organisations forward in a meaningful way.
Our Perspective on Navigating Leadership Challenges
Navigating ambiguity is a key strategic skill in a VUCA environment. Navigating the fog of war when the future is uncertain requires leaders to embrace it, use foresight, anticipate and be responsive to changes in a way that acknowledges the known unknowns but lets the business keep moving forward. The cultural foundation of the business in this environment also requires emphasising the importance of role modeling, clarity of purpose, values as the collective strength. As businesses navigate the complexities of today's market, the greatest assets remain the values upheld and the proactive actions taken by leaders.
This approach not only drives organisations forward but also forges a legacy of leadership that is impactful and enduring. By focusing on these aspects, businesses can cultivate a leadership culture that is well-suited for the modern challenges of the business world.
Contributed by Greg Allnutt MNZM, Partner