Leading an Inflexible Organization – Nu Leadership Series

“ Choosing one’s leaders is an affirmation that the person making the choice has inherent worth.”
Linda Chavez

Many organizations operate in a state of uncertainty due to the rapid changes in today’s marketplace. How can organizations afford to be clueless when forecasting for future changes? How can managers maintain their sanity with so many market variables? Exemplary organizations think strategically and operate in duality. Duality means operating in two universes, present and future. Wacker, Taylor, and Means, authors of The Visionary’s Handbook, argue that organizations must operate in duality to survive; however, the nature of organizations resists it.

Clearly, I see the madness of duality in my own consulting business. Taking care of the pressing needs of capital flow issues, personnel actions, and competitor movements become an obsession to organizations trying to stay ahead of corporate bill collectors. However, this short sightedness will eventually hurt an organization in the long run. Obviously, it is to an executive advantage to adequately prepare his or her organization for future changes. This process can be done when a leader fully engages his workforce with a vision and move strategically through his operations. Playing “what if” games while handling today’s problems can provide a snapshot of future challenges. Therefore, it is clear that organizational leaders need to live in the present and the future, thereby existing in duality.

Reference:

Wacker, W., Taylor, J., & Means, H. (2000). The Visionary’s Handbook. New York: HarperBusiness.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green