Some leaders want the instant fame and gratification of being present at the higher echelons. Others are more problem-led and only act out of their experiences. The second kind can actually be termed as having an “anti-leadership” bent as they are reluctant and skeptical about assuming leadership positions. They however, possess a passion for hard problems that require them to step into these leadership roles. They are good with corporate strategy, so understand most functional aspects from the top. While they are happy to use their talents when needed, they also understand the need to step aside once the function has been met. Corner offices do not attract their types, instead they seek to get the work done as quickly as possible. Their talent management abilities are limited, so stay away from emotional or social needs of employees. Neither do office politics interest them. They do not mind eccentricities of their team mates as long as the desire work is achieved. The status quo means nothing to them. They gave strong adherence towards hard, tangible data. If not available, they shy away from making decisions. Such leaders are most comfortable at entrepreneurial ventures or startups rather than at large established firms.

Source:http://mitsloan.mit.edu/newsroom/articles/the-11-calling-cards-of-a-problem-led-leader/?utm_source=mitsloantwitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=problemled

Uploaded Date:04 July 2018

The CEO’s role is extremely complicated especially in large global companies. While they have myriad resources at their disposal, they need to manage all business units’ and functional agendas across levels. The job is relentless with few breaks in between to enjoy the perks of the position. Weekends usually too get occupied by work. So, CEOs must take out time specifically for their personal well-being. Some of the most effective CEOs are those that work face-to-face and avoid excess cluttering through emails. CEO’s need to set the corporate strategy and this agenda is what must drive them on. Such strategies need to be aligned with the company culture. But this agenda is not static but keeps evolving due to ongoing developments. These developments could be triggered off by technological changes or evolution of consumer preferences. The CEO must take care to limit one’s involvement in routine activities beyond a point, so that he/she may be able to focus on the core strategic and innovation aspects. A CEO also needs to be adept at talent management, as there is a lot of reliance on those directly reporting below. That is why they need to be in touch with the other managers too. Data needs to be tracked so they can gauge the bigger picture within the firm and the industry overall. Once monitoring is done, steps need be taken to improve the processes. The best CEOs even know how to get the best out of team meetings.

Source:https://hbr.org/2018/07/the-leaders-calendar#how-ceos-manage-time

Uploaded Date:04 July 2018

According to a report by BCG, about 85% of companies are at present engaged in some sort of business transformation. Yet, the same study also highlighted that about three-fourths of them fail to achieve their objectives. This is because most transformation exercises only seek to achieve external changes and not internal ones. Structural elements such as policies, processes, technology and facilities get focused on. There may even be management training sessions on developing new skills. But human beings still loathe change. They do not wish to go out of their emotional and intellectual comfort zones. Sometimes employees feel the urge to change during training done at offsite locations but revert to their older methods once back to familiar surroundings. Transformation exercises need to root our confirmation biases. Leaders will also need to gauge the collective mindset.

Source:https://hbr.org/2018/06/leaders-focus-too-much-on-changing-policies-and-not-enough-on-changing-minds

Uploaded Date:04 July 2018

Disruption is now a constant enabling sectoral boundaries to now become permeable. Algorithms, artificial intelligence and data warehousin ghave changed how companies approach forecasting and decision-making. Due to this companies are focusing on digital transformation. A lot of management training programmes have been held with the motive to bring agility into the workspace. But all this is bound to fail unless one develops inner agility, as opposed to the natural stasis sought. As building blocks towards this one must take the occasional pause to reflect. Ignorance in any field must be embraced and rectified. Questions need to be framed to pose at all times. While the final objective is crucial, the journey one undertakes is equally so. Any solutions crept up, must be tested around others, as well as oneself.

Source:https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/leading-with-inner-agility?cid=eml-app

Uploaded Date:23 June 2018