| Leadership Insights for Business Success |
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| | Speaking truth to power is a challenging exercise in many organizations. Many leaders are unwilling or unable to hear honest feedback without becoming defensive or seeking retribution. However, it’s more important than ever in today’s rapidly changing marketplace that people speak up and leaders listen to ensure sustainable success.
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| Over the past week, I had the opportunity to debrief two executives on their narrative 360 feedback results. For one individual, the findings were pretty much as expected, with few surprises in terms of key strengths and areas for improvement. For the other executive, however, there was a significant issue that that took him by complete surprise.
While the astonished executive had some inkling of something ‘going on,’ he didn’t have any idea of the depth, impact and potential consequences of the issue. Not surprisingly, several of his direct reports were quite aware of the situation but hesitated to bring it forward. During the initial interview process, I explored reasons for this hesitancy to ‘speak truth.’ Explanations varied among team members but ranged from ‘it isn’t my responsibility’ or ‘he didn’t show real interest to my initial mention’ to ‘he really doesn’t like to talk about issues that run counter to his image or reputation.’
While this particular issue was addressed before it had major consequences for the company, lack of candor inside organizations can lead to major fallout on the back side. In today’s rapidly evolving world, it’s essential that leaders have.... (cont'd) |
| | | | Around The Web: Noteworthy News & Research
Is Your CEO a Champion of Values – Or a Pretender?
In recent years, business leaders have found a voice, filling a void left by political leaders, but the stances vary widely depending on values, courage and character. Champions are values-driven leaders who take a courageous and independent stand on principles. Stewards follow only after widely shared public sentiment emerges while Pretenders display gross inconsistency between their words and their deeds. This article, courtesy of Yale Insights, highlights numerous examples of the three types of CEOs and how they’ve played their hand in the public eye.
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For the Truth About How Bosses Behave, Ask Their Executive Assistants
Executive assistants have a front-row seat to the integrity dilemmas faced by top management. What is going on in the boardrooms and executive offices of this world? With responses from more than 200 executive assistants across 22 countries, this article by two INSEAD professors highlights findings from a recent study titled ‘The Secret Power in the Office.’ It contains some startling findings, including that numerous respondents have first-hand knowledge of some form of serious misconduct within the past year.
Read full article » |
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