The First Responsibilty Of A Leader

I am often asked, “What is the number one leadership failure you have seen in organizations of all kinds?” The answer is easy. It is defining reality, which according to Max De Pree (retired CEO of Herman Miller) is the “first responsibility of a leader.”

Before vision and before strategy, organizations need to know the reality of where they are today. When Louis Gerstner took the helm of a faltering IBM in 1993, he shunned any talk of vision, strategy, etc., until he had taken time to fully and accurately understand the current situation.

“…the last thing IBM needs right now is a vision.” Louis Gerstner (Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?}

Defining reality is not easy and few organizations can do it without help. Why? Because it is so hard to get the unfiltered truth on the table—the truth is often not easy to swallow. Jim Collins says,

“Leadership is equally about creating a climate where the truth is hear and the brutal facts confronted.”Jim Collins (Good to Great)

Brutal facts. No wonder it’s not easy.

Defining reality has the best chance of being honest and accurate if facilitated by someone who has:

No personal agenda
No stake in the outcome
No reputation to defend
No preferences
No preset positions about your organization or markets
No entrenched paradigms

There aren’t many—if any—insiders who can’t say “not me” to this list.

If you are considering resetting your vision or strategy, or if you want to make sure you are on the right track now, make sure you first understand your starting point—where you are today. After all, if you don’t know where you are starting from, you don’t have much chance of getting where you want to go. Get help if you need it.

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