LEADERSHIP: THINKING IS OFTEN THE LEAST OF IT

"How Successful Leaders Think" is a classic HBR article: big-name leaders (yes, Jack Welch is there), a handful of anecdotes (passing for evidence), a strong metaphor (we can all understand) and a simple diagram.  A revolutionary idea and leadership made easy.  Except that the core "opposable" thinking (thesis/antithesis/synthesis) is as old as time, as is also the CEO’s unique integrative role across conflicting needs of individual business units, functions and market groups.  But, above all, leadership is about much more than thinking.

The article focuses on how Bob Young of Red Hat found a middle way between "the high-margin proprietary model" for software sales and distribution (of Microsoft and others) and the "free-software model" (of Linux).  Yes, he built a fine business; and, made a lot of money.  But how does this article fit within the territory of leadership?  Much as Brussels fits within Europe: important but not the real story.

Thinking lays a foundation – and is critical for strategic decisions (where the article focuses) but these are only occasional decisions.  What about more gritty aspects of leadership: inspiring people, driving quality and customer service, influencing industry developments, evaluating investment decisions, and so on.  These are more about action.

And, from my observation, the best leaders are often the selectors (not architects) of critical or creative thinking, though they often (like heads of state) get credit for it, since it happened on their watch.  A too cerebral CEO often creates complexity, vacillation and confusion.  Nothing is ever resolved.  And, it's not coincidental that business-school students with the best grades often go to consulting, investment banking or academia, which are driven more by ideas than leadership.

So, what should we down-on-the-ground leaders do?  Firstly, get a map of the full territory, not just the street directory for Brussels.  How?  Try my V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership Action Planning tool.  It's been honed by the experience of hundreds of leaders across many industries and company sizes.  Above all, it's  focused on action: what the leader does.

In 40 minutes, you'll have a printable plan of your personal leadership actions.

Categories for this Potshot:

HBR articles, Great-leader Potshots, Build competitive advantage, Take tough decisions,

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