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Tag: Level 5 leadership

  • Getting to the Hedgehog Concept is an iterative process

    A council is a body of of wise men is elected by a Level 5 leader to zero in on the Hedgehog Concept that is best fit for an organization..

    Listed below are the steps that are part of an iterative process which eventually helps shape the best suited Hedgehog concept for an organization..

    1. Ask Questions guided by the THREE CIRCLES of Hedgehog Concept
    2. Dialogue and Debate Constructively Guided by the 3 Circles
    3. Execute Decisions guided by the 3 Circles
    4. Autopsies and Analysis Guided by the 3 Circles

    The formation of the COUNCIL is very critical to reach to a HEDGEHOG CONCEPT and hence needs the right people as mentioned by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great..

  • This quote explains how Level 5 leaders constructively channelize their ego

    Adopted from the following great quote of Jim Collins from the book Good to Great..

    Level 5 leaders are visionary leaders who transform good companies into great and iconic companies..

    “Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious–but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.”

  • How do Level 5 leaders motivate their people?

    Level 5 leaders firstly board the RIGHT PEOPLE in the BUS and take the WRONG PEOPLE off the bus.

    Since they already have the RIGHT PEOPLE , they will be SELF MOTIVATED.

    Hence the key if NOT to DE-MOTIVATE these people.

    The sure shot means of DE-MOTIVATING them is to ignore the BRUTAL facts of REALITY which is why this avoided at all costs by these LEVEL 5 leaders.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great.

  • Why creating the “right climate” in a workplace is important?

    Leadership is about creating a right climate where the TRUTH is HEARD and the BRUTAL FACTS are CONFRONTED.

    There is a huge difference between the opportunity to “HAVE ONE’s SAY” and the opportunity “TO BE HEARD”.

    The Level 5 leaders understand this important difference and CREATE A CULTURE where PEOPLE have a TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY to be HEARD and ultimately for TRUTH to be HEARD.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • The pitfalls of being “Charismatic”

    Great leaders know that a strong charismatic personality can become a LIABILITY rather than an ASSET.

    The strength of CHARISMA in personality can sow the seeds of PROBLEMS when people FILTER the BRUTAL FACTS from the CHARISMATIC leader.

    A great charismatic leader is mindful of this fact and overcomes this by being consciously attentive.

    Think of Winston Churchill , his charisma and his fight against Hitler.In order to safeguard against the problem of unpleasant brutal facts  not reaching him , Churchill created the Statistical Office to ensure that these details always reached him.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great.

  • Why having a “Vision” alone is not sufficient?

    Iconic companies have been driven by a vision but that alone has never been sufficient.

    There is nothing wrong in pursuing a VISION for greatness.Where iconic companies like SouthWest , Apple , Costco stand out from their peers is that these companies have continually refined the path to greatness by being willing and flexible to FACE BRUTAL FACTS of REALITY.

    This has been scientifically explained by Jim Collins in his book titled Good To Great.

  • How to create a “work culture” where truth is “heard”?

    Creating such a culture involves four basic practices:

    1) Leading with questions , not answers

    2) Engage in dialogue and debate not coercion

    3) Conduct autopsies without blame

    4) Build RED FLAG mechanisms that TURN information into the information that cannot be ignored

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • Top priority of Level 5 leaders who build great organizations

    Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets , or technology or competition or products.

    It is one thing above all others , the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • Understanding “Packard’s Law”

    David Packard co-founder of Hewlett Packard:

    “No company can grow revenues consistently faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a great company”.

    This implies that if the growth rate in revenues consistently outpaces the growth rate in people , we simply will not and indeed cannot build a great company.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • Three major principles in “people decisions” followed by Level 5 leaders

    Great companies powered by Level 5 leaders adopt the following 3 principles to introduce rigor in people decisions:

    1. When in doubt , do not hire , keep looking
    2. When you know you need to make a people change , act
    3. Put your best people on your biggest opportunities , not your biggest problems

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great.