Top 5 Discriminators: Unsuccessful Leaders
1. [75] My team knows the #1 overall corporate priority, the quantification of it, and the date we will hit it
2/3rds of the unsuccessful leaders in our survey do not answer "strong true" to this question whereas substantially all the successful (by results) leaders do.
Consistent with our survey data, having multiple #1 priorities is the most common malady of the companies we encounter in our turnarounds. In your business, can everyone tell you the #1 priority, the quantification of it, and the timeline for achieving it?
If not, you have work to do because, without total clarity on the top priority, (i) people work on what they think is important, rather than what is important, (ii) trade-offs and decisions are difficult without a clear north star, and (iii) motivation and engagement suffer because people don't understand how their work fits into the bigger picture.
2. [20] I don't answer questions with questions -- because my job is to tell people what to do and make sure they do it
You might think that no seasoned leader strongly agrees with this statement. If so, you're right: only 1% do. However, almost 1/3rd of epic value destroyers answer some degree of "true".
In doing so, they communicate that they have the answers and know best. And you will see it frequently in failed situations once you know to look for it.
The most successful leaders do the opposite: they refrain from giving people answers, decisions, or directions. They almost never tell people what they want them to do or why they should do it. Instead, they offer a view and ask others to get involved with a simple question: What do they want to do together? Essentially, they know exactly where they want the team and organization to go, but they get there by asking questions. They involve and collaborate much more than they sell and direct.
3. [36] Some people haven't proven themselves enough to deserve my goodwill and encouragement
Few leaders -- only 3% -- answer "strongly true". Yet 25% of the unsuccessful leaders answer some degree of "true".
The belief that people need to prove themselves to earn goodwill and encouragement is a misguided approach to leadership. It is a leader's job to extend goodwill and encouragement to their team members from the start, not to withhold it until some arbitrary threshold of worthiness has been met.
If you say to yourself you would never have such a thing in your org, look down the chain of command, particularly in areas not succeeding. You will likely find a leader with some degree of this approach.
4. [96] Complex problems generally require complex solutions
We have a variety of questions related to complexification.
Complexifiers at the CEO level happen in our data about 2% of the time, but 20% of the time in materially value-destroying leaders, and with more elevated percentages in academia.
Simplification ability can be developed with practice. Finding simple solutions to complex problems is a hallmark of great leadership and innovation. It's not about dumbing things down or ignoring the real complexities. It's about having the insight and the courage to cut to the heart of the matter and to focus on what moves the needle.
5. [63] Comfort vs Discomfort: Peak performance happens when teams are:
3/4 of the unsuccessful leaders we encounter prioritize comfort for their team whereas 3/4 of the successful CEOs answer the opposite way.
There are good reasons to beware excessive discomfort: no one does their best in a state of fear and constant fight. However, overall, great leaders know that "a winning team is a happy team" and a happy team is not necessarily a winning team. Nothing great happens until people and teams are pushed out of their comfort zones. As Tony Robbins says, "All growth starts at the end of your comfort zone".
Great leaders have the same or higher expectations for others than they have for themselves because they admire their followers. Unsuccessful leaders tend to be content with average; they need to be liked and look to keep people in their comfort zones.