Page 145 - The extraordinary leader

122 • The Extraordinary Leader

a strong execution company. The world was in the middle of a monetary cri-
sis, and the bonuses of the executives were based on profits in U.S. dollars.
Every one of the executives was underwater in their stock options and their
bonus plan. Their logic was simple: leave and go somewhere else to get a fresh
start, rather than trying to dig out from under a compensation plan typical of
an execution-focused company. There was no personal loyalty to senior exe-
cutives. It was all “head” and very little “heart.” So when the numbers worked
out to make it better to leave, there was not a moment’s hesitation.

Avoiding Mistakes

In this organization, there is a critical need to do things right. Excellence,
quality, and conformance to standards are the organizational bylines. How-
ever, the reward for taking on a new project or taking some initiative is not as
great as the punishment for making a mistake. So there is an enormous
emphasis on checking every written document two and three times. Presen-
tations are rehearsed and re-rehearsed. Every column of figures is added and
re-added to make sure there are no mistakes. This is a frequent phenomenon
in organizations that have large corporate staffs. Their role often evolves into
one of “cop,” where the emphasis is on catching mistakes made by an oper-
ating company.
One of the authors was reviewing a presentation with a client to be pre-
sented before their chairman. After seeing the presentation, she said, “I have
some feedback for you.” “Great,” I commented. Her feedback was, “You need
to be a bit more buttoned up.” At first I wasn’t quite sure what she meant.
“What do I need to do less of?” I asked. Her reply, “Don’t ask so many ques-
tions. Just give the chairman the facts. And keep the presentation short. The
more information we give the chairman, the greater the chance for his dis-
agreeing with something you say.”
The quality movement has created many organizations in which quality
has permeated every aspect of the corporate culture. An additional aspect of
some of these organizations is a reluctance to engage in innovation, risk tak-
ing, or creative thinking. The organization is run by policies and procedures.
There is a great need for order and precision in the way things are done.

Advantages. Leaders take pride in order, deeply analyze every aspect of a
project, and do high-quality work. Organizations that emphasize safety or qual-
ity standards often have this strength. If you enjoy order and doing things by