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When there's clarity from the top, the rest of the organization knows what to focus on. The best leaders can express a compelling vision and clear priorities for what it takes to succeed in the business, as well as "the way we do things around here," usually in a single breath. Michael Dell's two-word strategic principle-"Be direct"-sums it up for Dell's 55,000 global employees. During the Jack Welch era, all employees of General Electric Co. knew their priorities, articulated by Welch himself in the mid-1980s: "No. 1 or No. 2-or fix, sell or close."
A compelling vision goes beyond stirring words. Top-performing teams reinforce the company's business priorities and values by creating "distributed leadership"-leaders at every level who send the same messages about the company's direction. Yet, even the most talented and energetic group can fail if they are not aligned. Cohesive leadership teams trust one another. They aren't afraid to engage in conflict around ideas. Once they commit to a decision, they walk out of a meeting with a common plan of action.
We work individually with new CEOs, helping them set business and personal priorities right from day one. We also assist boards and leadership teams with identifying the right leadership behaviors and developing the right quality of bench strength. Major organizational changes, whether they're brought on by a new strategy, a merger, business turnaround or transformation, particularly test top management's effectiveness. The teams that succeed lead from the front, have a clear vision and purpose, and communicate that vision clearly throughout the organization. Bain helps top management hone the ability to deliver on those imperatives.
To find out more about Bain's work in this capability area, please contact the practice.
Note: The framework for cohesive leadership teams is based on "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni.
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Rules For Rookie CEOs
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