Page 176 - Harnessing the Strengths

Dilemma 7: Push Versus Pull ■ 159

Being too effi cient is deadly. In recent years, the Euro-
pean fi shing fl eet has had to be dramatically reduced. Not
because they caught too few fi sh, but because they were actu-
ally catching too many, and the fi sh populations have been
depleted. In a similar way, it is also possible that raising the
capacity of a factory will have disastrous results, especially
if fi fty other companies have also done the same during the
same period, resulting in a chronic overcapacity.
Despite the appreciation that internally oriented cultures
have for self-determination, they cannot do without fl exibil-
ity and adaptability. No leader is master of his or her lot in the
turbulent ocean if he or she drifts rudderless. Waiting until
someone comes and rescues him or her is no solution.
The solution is shown in Figure 11.5.

Compass
Both the Anglo-American internal orientation and the East
Asian fatalism can have disastrous results when taken to the
extreme. Leaders in the modern economy must remain acutely

Navigating global
turblulence
Internally-oriented leadership Internally oriented leadership deck chairs on (10,10)
(1,10)
(10,10)
Rearranging
(1,10) the
the Titanic

At the
the
elements
(10,1)
(1,10)
Externally-oriented leadership mercy of
Externally oriented leadership
Figure 11.5 Internal-oriented versus external-oriented leadership