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We need them here and now.
IF A COMPANY IS ONLY as good as its people, leaders have much to worry about. The reason: their people are under unprecedented strain. In an economic environment that demands increased productivity, leaders are tightening control and asking employees to do more work in less time. At the same time, employers are paying less attention to their employees' development or satisfaction.
Leaders can cope with this situation with fearlessness - by building a strategy driven by quality and the values of the people, rather than by quarterly performance. Regrettably, few leaders are likely to lift themselves above the short-term fray to get this message.
Fearlessness can play a critical role in addressing problems facing leaders.
For years, there has seemed to be a deep disappointment and despair growing, even among engaged, capable business leaders. I've spent much time working on large-systems change, helping organizations become more committed and productive, with the full engagement of people at the top. Many of these people were heroes to nie. They knew about the value of participative management; they had made great gains in both the traditional measures of profitability and in innovation and viability.
Now pressures on leaders have increased dramatically. They no longer have time or flexibility. They feel caged, oppressed, and exhausted. The demand for quick results and the pressure from boards and oversight committees have left them no time for development or learning.
I saw these leaders withdraw: "Forget about values, learning, or participation. We just need to execute." This meant: "Drive performance now." This business rhetoric, the notion of execution, is quite violent: You "execute" people. It gives me the shivers. Seeing this happen made me think about fearlessness: Who was going to take a stand on behalf of quality and other values? And if people did take a stand, would it make a difference?
That thinking led me to a more radical position. I gave up on the idea of change led by senior executives. I started looking for people who were interested in change, encouraging them to do what they could,...