Could a shared leadership framework enable organizations to deal with complexity, improve decision-making, enable adaptability and nimbleness, and increase performance across the board? Researchers such as Craig L. Pierce and Henry P. Sims Jr. would say yes! What exactly is shared leadership and how could it improve an organization’s performance? Shared leadership is a multi-faceted… Read more »
Author: Susan Hoberecht
Collaboration Isn’t Easy
It is clear that collaboration is a necessity in navigating today’s complex work environments where ambiguity and change are constants. What is not clear is how to make collaboration part of an organization’s culture and the default behavior pattern for leaders. One possible solution comes from Morten T. Hansen’s 2009 book, Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid… Read more »
Can Exploring the Emotional Side of Complexity Make Us Better Leaders?
What is the emotional side of complexity and how can it help us understand and manage complexity? John Kotter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert on leadership and change, said this year that managing change is about understanding the human condition of fear that is inherent in all change. Change, he added, is managed… Read more »
“Set in Stone”: A Look at Martin Luther King’s Message
While it has been over four decades since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his message and views remain critically relevant today. With the recent unveiling of his monument in Washington D.C., I thought it fitting to reflect on his teachings and consider the implications for leadership in today’s context. Lately, the buzz… Read more »
Looking in all the Right Places
To find inspiration and clarify my latest thinking on embracing complexity, I recently turned to popular, off-the-shelf publications and the latest business books. Not only did I not find inspiration and clarity, I experienced confusion and loss of interest from the dogma I found there.So much of what I read was filled with jargon, buzz… Read more »
How Today’s CEO Manages Complexity
In 2010, IBM researchers conducted a study to figure what makes today’s CEO tick. The organization interviewed 1,500 CEOs worldwide to examine their priorities, uncover what sets the best organizations apart, and determine what’s on their minds. Researchers found evidence suggesting that managing complexity in today’s fastpace world involves: promoting and leading with greater creativity,… Read more »
Exploring Network Structures to Manage Complexity
Organizations have been engaging in networks for a long time. Most common are networks of suppliers associated with providing various parts to produce an end product known collectively as a supply chain. Clear examples of supply chain networks include the making of a PC where parts come from across the globe or Amazon.com where a… Read more »
Thinking Better Means Slowing Down to Think More
The complexity surrounding our everyday life leaves many of us feeling drained, perpetually chasing an infinite to do list. We run faster and faster, hurrying to get things done, to meet deadlines, and to keep pace with demands and challenges. This hectic pace is overwhelming that it challenges our ability to sustain high performance. How… Read more »
Good Leaders Get Surprised
Maybe it’s time we stop trying to fool each other: nobody has all the answers. Admitting what we don’t know is the first step to improving it. I recently conducted an organizational assessment to determine what was on the minds of team members and how they might use that information to improve their performance. I… Read more »