take 5

To many executives, involving rank-and-file workers in business strategy is a strange concept. Isn’t business strategy better left to those trained in it? Can’t the VP of operations provide all the insights a regular employee could — and then some?

These days, leaders are coached to be sensitive, empathetic, and concerned with others’ feelings–all worthy, important attributes that a great boss (or anyone with a shred of emotional intelligence) needs to possess. So with the best of intentions we go out of our way to be nice and collegial–and wind up overdoing the mea culpas.

As an organization grows, you grow with it. The leadership behaviors, the way you communicated and made decisions that got you to where you are will no longer apply to get you to where you want to be. The competitive environment changes. Customer demand changes. The team around you changes. You change. If you’re not adapting with the environment then you’re fighting against it.