When asked when something is needed, how many of us have heard or even said, “I need it yesterday?”
Our world is turning faster all the time. The now quaint old phrase, “Internet is like dog years. One human year is equal to seven Internet years” now seems like slow motion. Change is all around us and always has been. Those of us using the Internet in the early 1990s or earlier could not have envisioned today’s mobile devices much less Artificial Intelligence (AI) and who knows what the next ten years will bring.
Previously, we have addressed Organizational Initiatives and why almost all of them Fail. Interested readers should check that post out. This blog addresses ways to move forward desired significant changes such as Cultural Transformation.
Leadership?
There are a number of euphemisms for leadership or lack thereof.
- Talk the Talk, not Walk the Walk
- Do as I say, not as I do
- Rules for me, but not for thee
These are a few that come to mind and I am sure there are many others. Humans are very good at determining duplicity, even seeing it as dishonesty.
Even if it is not unethical, illegal or immoral–if looks could kill comes to mind. Where it is a politician leaving for a vacation in Mexico during one of the worst floods in US history in his state or an airline CEO flying on a private jet in the midst of major air travel snafu during a holiday season, visuals matter.
‘Follow Me‘ is the mantra of the US Army Infantry. True Leaders, Lead!
There is no such thing as leading from behind or telling people that you will be right behind them. What organizational hill would you die on for this non-leader?
Bottom Line
It is easier to accelerate change or transformation than commonly believed. Visible, consistent and constant leadership is the hallmark of success. Also, answering the “What’s in it for me” question all will have with a meaningful response is key.
For cultural transformation, the CEO is the agent of change. He/She cannot delegate this to an Executive Sponsor and move on to other initiatives that will most likely fail too.
What is Your Leadership Style and Why Would Anyone Follow You?
For More Information
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See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.
The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page. Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.” His focus is on Operational Technologies.
“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962). For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game. You can contact this author as well.
For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.
Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.
For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts. If interested, check it out and give me a shout.