Building the right culture within their team and setting strategic direction that’s aligned to that of the organisation is vital for a leader to ensure the success of their team. However as the research in a recent HBR article (Why Visionary Leadership Fails, Nufer Yasin Ates et al, 28 Feb 2019),  indicates the strategic alignment of leaders at all levels across the organisation cannot and therefore should not be assumed as a given.

All too often we see large organisations going through restructure after restructure. A change is made, it does not work and so we try again. However is it the change itself that is the problem or the commitment to that change? We know that a lack of decision in business can be highly damaging, delaying progress and delivery to our customers, however what’s so often more detrimental is when decisions are made but then there is a lack of commitment to their outcomes. This is more often than not because key players – at all levels – were not involved in those decisions in the first place. Without input from our colleagues we cannot possibly expect commitment. Gone are the days of the top down approach. We must listen to our customer, and leaders must not forget that your customers are those who you lead.