Are YOU a Peacetime Leader, A Wartime Leader or a Little of Both?
We are going to dip our toes into a topic today that has been a tough one for me to reconcile over the years. I will generally describe it as working for our "ideal leader" and the picture perfect company culture. As with most things in life...it isn't clear cut...and it's complicated!
Ideal Leadership and Culture
Close your eyes....deep breath...and think about the best leader you have known or worked for. Now give some thought to the ideal company culture...one that puts a spring in your step and eager to come to work every day. Now...open your eyes and write down a few traits or sentences that describe each.
I'm going to guess that a lot of what you wrote down for a leadership included things like; authentic, encouraging, trustworthy, strong values, etc. For the corporate culture words like; motivating, respectful, team-oriented, ethical, transparent, etc. came up. While not exhaustive lists...it just sounds like the most incredible place to work!
The Twist
I must admit there are several directions I could go in to describe the twist or the caveat to all that I just outlined or that you came up with. I will make the bold assumption that when we describe or think about leadership and corporate culture it is through the lens of sunshine and roses....the company is stable...growing...profitable...and pulling together to achieve a shared vision. It ISN'T the scenario where the company is under siege...up against a hostile take over...battling for it's life...going through challenging times where critical, costly projects are failing...or facing layoffs/downsizing.
In the book The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins...he talks about assessing what you are walking into so you can match YOUR strategy to the situation you are facing. He outlines four types of situations...
company launch, company reorganization, reorientation of business operations or continuation of successful business operations.
The take away for me was the age old adage if all that you have is a hammer...you will treat everything like a nail. In other words...if my leadership approach and culture I align to is about nurturing...continuing and building on success...then that approach will most likely breed failure if the the leadership style needed is about making tough decisions including layoffs...downsizing or selling off parts of the portfolio not to mention addressing a culture bordering on toxic and fearful. The opposite can be true as well.
I would also argue that this not only applies in the first 90 days of stepping into a new role... leaders need to continuously can the environment to test if things have changed and adjustments to approach are needed.
Peacetime Leader vs Wartime Leader
So where does this lead us. I read an article recently by Ben Horowitz, The Peacetime CEO/Wartime CEO which summed up and challenged some of my core beliefs and thinking. I guess the conclusion I came to was that some of the classic definitions of an ideal company culture and leader aligns with a Peacetime Company. YOU have to ask yourself...if the company I am working for is on the brink of "failure" do I want Mr. Rogers at the helm...or do I want Sarah Connor from Terminator in my corner.
To hit the point home...here are a few of my favorite differences he outlines in the article...
Peacetime CEO focuses on the big picture and empowers her people to make detailed decisions. Wartime CEO cares about a speck of dust on a gnat’s ass if it interferes with the prime directive.
Peacetime CEO spends time defining the culture. Wartime CEO lets the war define the culture.
Peacetime CEO knows what to do with a big advantage. Wartime CEO is paranoid.
Peacetime CEO aims to expand the market. Wartime CEO aims to win the market.
Peacetime CEO strives to tolerate deviations from the plan when coupled with effort and creativity. Wartime CEO is completely intolerant.
Peacetime CEO sets big, hairy audacious goals. Wartime CEO is too busy fighting the enemy to read management books written by consultants who have never managed a fruit stand.
Peacetime CEO trains her employees to ensure satisfaction and career development. Wartime CEO trains her employees so they don’t get their ass shot off in the battle.
In Closing...
We need different leadership styles and approaches for different reasons...seasons...and situations. We can't all assume that one size fits all no matter how many ways we try to convince ourselves otherwise. We also can't be naïve enough to think that the leadership style required to see the company or the team through rough patches won't have an impact on culture. It WILL! Same goes for smooth patches. The role of the leader is to safe passage everyone through it and we all need to appreciate and understand how we play a role as we navigate the rough and the calmer seas.
Lastly, I would argue that at it's core... leadership is leadership whether you are in peacetime or wartime. You will still follow a leader into battle and fight for success no matter what happens on the battlefield if you feel they ultimately have your best interests at heart...that you trust them and that they are your best chance to make it through whatever you are facing. YOU may not always like it...and it may not be the perfect peacetime culture you are looking for but you will live to fight another day. The key is to hold the leader accountable through it all and remind them that the "gift of follow-ship" is continuously earned and not to be used as an excuse for bad behavior.
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Are you in a peacetime company with a wartime leader? or vice versa? or do you feel all is perfectly aligned across the empire?
Do YOU think there are different approaches or skill sets needed to lead a team depending the situation or does one size fit all?
Can you think of a time when YOU misread the situation and didn't adjust your leadership style to meet the overall need?
What happens when YOU are the only ONE that thinks that YOU are in wartime and everyone else is thinking peacetime? What steps can you take to create shared understanding and agree on approach?
Do YOU find yourself gravitating (or specializing) in one style or the other? Are you able to "switch hit" and adjust depending on what is needed?
Knowing that situations are not clear cut, do YOU have any advice to leaders on how to take inventory of where you/the team/the company are and reading the tea leaves on what is happening with the culture?
How important is transparency and communication for both leadership styles and needs? How do they differ or do they?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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