Speed over perfection
A weekly roundup of the most interesting, useful and thought-provoking articles to help you be a better leader. This week we’re focusing on agility.
Corporate transformations: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff shook up his leadership team after his co-CEO left late last year.
Our take: What to do after your co-CEO steps down unexpectedly, after only a year? For Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, major personnel changes in his management team was the answer (as well as laying off 10% of his global workforce).
After only 6 months, he had new hires in place for his chief positions, while changing the responsibilities of his COO.
The new hires were mostly employees who had previously worked for Salesforce, signaling his willingness to make improvements, while not completely disrupting the team dynamic.
Key takeaway: Benioff’s strategic agility in response to his co-CEO stepping down indicated his ability to make organizational changes quickly and efficiently, softening the blow (somewhat) of the simultaneous layoffs.
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Get out of the middle. This Fast Company article advises CEOs to stop putting yourselves in the middle of all decisions – instead, set up strong strategic priorities and let your team find the best ways to execute them.
Our take: Building a company that can pivot on a dime during uncertain times is essential. The key to this is an agile leadership team.
If employees are provided with a solid plan and clear direction, management can create a team environment where members collaborate, adjust quickly, and always know the strategic priorities they’re aiming to achieve.
This kind of team functioning means that the CEO doesn’t need to step in to play umpire – you can focus on your own leadership style that ensures those who report to you know what your vision is and how you want it achieved.
Key takeaway: Agile teams require agile leadership. Ask yourself: Is my team clear about our strategic priorities? If the answer is no, be willing to change your approach so that your team can adjust theirs.
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How to survive uncertain times. This Harvard Business Review article highlights the concept and importance of strategic agility.
Our take: Why do some companies flounder in difficult times, while others thrive after adversity? These authors believe it’s because of strategic agility.
When disaster hits, the companies that succeed are the ones that are able to “deviate from their strategic plan and adapt to the changing environment.”
This requires a nimbleness to avoid the worst impacts, the ability to absorb the damage being inflicted, and resilience to accelerate past the problems faster than your competitors.
Key takeaway: Being agile is about seeing the problem clearly and quickly, and then adapting your strategic plan to the immediate issues. The key is speed over perfection during uncertainty or sudden difficulties.
