This post comes from an article in “Fast Company” that one of my clients shared with me. In “Can C.K. Prahalad Pass the Test?” technology professor and CEO C.K. Prahalad shared what he had learned in his many years in business, giving great advice on leadership and managerial skills. He passed away in 2010 but many of his ideas are as relevant today as they were years ago.
1) When the going is roughest, leadership matters. In times of trouble, Prahalad said, “Leaders must behave like emotional and intellectual anchors. There are no external cues now. The critical issue is about faith, passion, and, most important, authenticity-so people know you are not pretending. People see a sham.”
2) Successful managers embrace discomfort. “If you do precisely what you’re supposed to do, and you’re boxed in, then you’re going to do that very well.” But if pressed to do things that aren’t in your normal job description, he says, the challenge can push you to a new level of achievement.
3) Great leaders stay on message. For Prahalad, nothing was more important than reminding people what his company stands for. “I spent a lot of time talking about what we’re doing in terms of strategy. You have to give the same message over and over again.”
4) It’s not one person. It’s not the team. It’s both. A painting of a pack of wolves in Prahalad’s office symbolized the combination of leadership and teamwork that pervades successful organizations. “With wolves, solidarity is first,” said Prahalad. “But when they hunt, they change roles. The implicit hierarchy depends on who does what. In an organization, one unique person makes a difference, but you need teamwork to make it happen.”
5) Think? Act? Balance the two. “In a company like ours, if we wanted to do something, we would just call a meeting. But in a small company, you have to exercise caution and build your own personal dampers so that you don’t act on everything. Sometimes not acting may be smart. But if I get the feeling that everybody’s becoming so thoughtful that nobody’s doing anything, I want to go and light some fires somewhere.”
Try choosing one of these five suggestions and apply it practically in your job. Maybe you will try being more authentic with your team members, or perhaps you’ll consider not doing something instead of forging ahead. You might choose to consider whether you’re consistent in your messages to your team and whether you’re sharing strategic direction as well as tactical suggestions. Whatever you choose, see if it makes a difference with your team.
Kathleen