Page 117 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

104B RE-ENGAGE

So far, so good.
The only problem was that much of this activity was being done
while working around the CEO, whom the task force described as
“old school” and highly autocratic. Her leadership approach was, shall
we say, less than engaging. The engagement survey results revealed
what many managers already knew: younger workers saw the firm’s
leaders as too hierarchical and command-and-control, accounting
for a rising turnover rate and great difficulty recruiting new gradu-
ates. The CEO, although tolerant of the task force’s efforts, had sent
the not-so-subtle message that the task force could implement this
“engagement program,” but without including her as a participant or
contributor.
She must have assumed she had been doing something right, or
she would not have reached her high position—right? So why should
she question her approach to leadership this late in her successful ca-
reer? Perhaps because the forces of change had finally caught up to her
and the firm.
The thwack from the elephant’s tail, apparently in full view in the
living room, will render many, if not most, of the task force’s efforts for
naught. How senior leaders get away with forfeiting, or in many cases
ignoring, their responsibility to lead and engage employees is beyond
our comprehension. They and all the organization’s stakeholders will,
in due course, pay a heavy price for the elephant that we call hubris.