KEEP ON PROBING


Digging deep for intelligence is, however, not a one-time thing. There is a limit to what you can know before actually taking on a new role. Nor can you ever get complete clarity. [ 7] Pushing for certainty where none is available can create the impression that you are high-maintenance individual. As key relationships evolve , roles must be constantly renegotiated. Situations change ”new leaders come in, restructurings occur. With each change, the steps of drilling deep need to be revisited.

Alice Lind, for example, explicitly contracted with the chairman for reality checks going forward.

The culture here is driven by being nice but not necessarily honest. I said to him, "Part of why we are going to be a good team is that I have had some experience in facilitating change, but you are going to have to tell me how fast and how far." There are times when I have told him that [the troops] were getting a little uncomfortable. Am I moving at a pace that's too fast? He told me to keep on, but keep an eye out.

This culture and my boss are also big believers in feedback. He gives it to me and I give it to him. We share. That has been helpful as a newcomer to an organization. It's taken thirty years to figure it out.

In a world of rapid change, adaptive power becomes a critical factor in organizational success. [ 8] Good intelligence is a cornerstone of adaptability. At no point, perhaps, are adaptive powers stretched more than when considering and taking on a visible, high-profile assignment. Good intelligence makes the initial decision and the transition more manageable. It puts you on alert when a key relationship may need to be shored up and signals the appropriate time to push for more support. It also helps you understand the reasons behind resistance. Moreover, intelligence is a renewable resource and drilling deep a perpetual process.

[ 7] Robert Rubin and Jacob Weisberg, for example, argue in In an Uncertain World: Tough Choices from Wall Street to Washington that nothing in these realms is provably certain. Any leader must rely on probabilistic thinking ”what, given the facts at hand, seems to be the best decision. Good intelligence increases , but does not ensure, the chances that those decisions will be good ones.

[ 8] Ronald A. Heifetz, Leadership Without Easy Answers .




Her Place at the Table. A Woman's Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success
Her Place at the Table: A Womans Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success
ISBN: 0470633751
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 64

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