In today's dynamic business environment the leadership also has to change. Success of an organization depends on synchronizing leadership style with the requirements of changed environment.
Most
organizations, at some time in their existence, face
decline in performance. During a company's lifespan
depicted in the firm's life cycle, a stage comes when
it may need a turnaround in order to survive. Here,
the right kind of leadership makes the difference. Most
often a turnaround situation may demand an outsider
to lead the company out of the mess. But, sometimes
all it may need is a change in leadership style rather
than a change in the leadership.
Each
stage in a company's life cycle requires a particular
type of leadership style. Success can be achieved by
matching the stage of the life cycle with the type of
leadership. A company in its infancy needs a visionary
leader, an entrepreneur, and a risk-buff. He should
be similar to a Prophet in having a foresight; he should
be a futurist who shows the path and preaches it. He
must be a creative person who supports a new system
of beliefs and principles; he should be an innovator
who believes in changing the status quo.
As
the company grows, a more aggressive leader is needed.
This leader should be more like a barbarian, a capriccio,
who attacks the markets and garners as much market share
as he can lay his hands on. He can be ruthless with
savage instincts and can be quite impulsive, making
decisions off the cuff. With further growth and market
share, the need for a builder/ explorer CEO arises.
This leader is often a team builder and assigns tasks
to well organized teams. As the company nears maturity,
it has to find new markets-it has to explore and, spread
its wings. And for it to expand its realm, the leader
should be acquire, assimilate resources, partner and
strategize for new market entry. |
