Page 64 - Fearless Leadership

The Blind Spots That Derail Leaders 51

When groups conspire against each other, they cost the organization
significant time and money. This was the case between the research and
marketing groups in a specialty chemical organization. The relationship
between these two areas for the past 20 years could be described as
strained, at best.
The marketing group introduced a new customer model to the corpo-
rate leadership team that directly impacted research. Given the long-stand-
ing rivalry between these two areas, it was not surprising that marketing
did not fully include the research group in the development of the model,
nor did they consult them in detail about how the new approach would
change a number of their processes.
The research group began a volley of fire, which started by accusing
marketing of undermining their work. Marketing folks returned fire and
charged research with being myopic and inattentive to customer needs.
E-mails went flying with dozens of recipients copied.
The conspiracy against each department grew into a full-fledged war
with camps clearly divided. Although the corporate leadership team
approved the new model for implementation, the collaboration needed
between research and marketing to make it successful was unobtainable.
Because neither group trusted the other, the brilliant new approach died
after millions of dollars were invested and two years of time wasted.
Conspiracies between individuals and groups are the Number 1 sabo-
teur of senior teams, business success, and change initiatives. What
makes conspiracies against others so insidious is that they are under-
ground where they cannot be readily seen. Rigid and fixed beliefs, false
assumptions about others, and the lack of trust produce disastrous results.
Because individuals and teams do not have a shared methodology to
address issues, these issues then escalate and spread to other parts of
the company.

The Impact of Conspiring Against Others. When you conspire against
people or ideas—whether by participating or by silent endorsement—you
are perceived as weak, deceitful, and dishonest. Others withdraw their trust,
and your credibility takes a nosedive. The unasked question is, “If a leader
talks negatively about someone else, what prevents him or her from talk-
ing about me?”