Strong Leadership vs. The Latest Management Fads

As I am now entering my third decade of working with corporate clients on performance improvement it is an interesting exercise to look back over those decades and reflect on the particular focus in a given time period. Over the last number of decades we've focused on Management by Objective (MBO). We've organized our workforce according to Theory Z. We've instituted Total Quality Management (TQM) and reengineered. We've delayered, outsourced, downsized and right-sized. We've empowered and one minute managed. All these management approaches became very popular very quickly, stayed popular for a few years, and then disappeared almost without a trace.

And yet, despite the fads, the fundamental need remains; the need to create better, more productive organizations. The future well-being of every nation depends on its ability to increase productivity and leaders of organizations have the single greatest impact on an organization's productivity gains or loses. Productivity is ultimately the by-product of effective behaviors in an organization, even if that effective behavior is the management decision to install cutting-edge productivity-enhancing technology. An organization's leadership has the greatest impact on organizational behavior and culture. World class productivity gains are driven by world-class leaders. It is impossible to have breakthrough productivity gains with mediocre leadership.

As I reflect back on my work with clients over three decades, although the packaging and the labels have changed, the need to develop the full potential of people has been the constant. In that time, constant-dollar American per capita GDP has grown 34%, demonstrating substantial productivity growth and a tapping into our shared human potential. Increased productivity has brought with it an increased standard of living and a better life. The American corporation's investment in their leaders over the last several decades has played an important part in this productivity growth.

In what tangible ways has developing your leaders enhanced your organization's productivity?