Contrary to media stories that suggest CEO’s are the key to organizational success, the impact of CEOs, CFOs and other top-level executives on large firms is extremely limited. In fact, these top positions explain less than 5% of the variation in firm performance amongst Fortune 800 companies. Of course, senior leaders set the strategic direction [...]
What is Effective Leadership? Here are some numbers to consider that answer this question.
All first and mid-level managers have the potential to transform the performance of their teams and the work life of their team members. They have the potential to make a real difference for their organisation and a real difference to the lives of their people.
No doubt you pay attention to a range of numbers in your organisation. With frequent and detailed reporting, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that in the end one key number is important.
That number might be profit per transaction, or profit per employee. However, as an end product it’s of more use to the head of your business unit than it is to frontline leaders.
From a frontline leadership perspective, you’ll find that a focus on one seemingly less important result can have the flow-on effect of dramatically improving the important numbers.
In the modern western world the cult of work has become highly valued. Its most recent incarnation is the ‘always on’ culture. Being available via mobile and email, if not 24/7, then at least more hours each day than was acceptable a decade ago.
Of course it feels good to be busy, to submit to the siren call of activity. Yet there is no special virtue in hard work.