With the recent feud between Boris Johnson and Liam Fox causing further division in the Conservative party, Theresa May has her work cut out as her leadership is tested like never before. Article by Mike Taylor, Managing Director at leadership and business performance – consultancy Accelerating Experience.
Conservative colleagues have described her tendency to micromanage the Home Office, something which would be impossible to do in her role. There is a chronic tendency among people in senior roles to default to micromanagement, not leadership, during times of uncertainty. Brexit, and a possible recession mean she will have to adapt her style of leadership, or risk becoming overstretched. In times of uncertainty, leaders must focus on mobilising their organisations and the talent within them to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. Please see commentary below on why micromanagement is so damaging, and how leaders can avoid it.
The business world is continuing to come to terms with the knowledge that the only certainty for the foreseeable future is uncertainty. The business plans of many companies were catapulted into obsolescence at a stroke. Markets will stay in shock until there is resolution of the Brexit plan and clarity regarding future trading prospects. Strong, effective leadership may be lacking in the political arena, but business leaders must focus on mobilising their organisations and the talent within them to adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
Faced with this enormous challenge, I see trouble ahead for many business leaders. This is because of a chronic tendency of many people in senior roles to exhibit micro-management, not leadership, during times of uncertainty. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, I saw clients dive into the detail of everything crossing their desk. In an extreme example, the CEO of a major accountancy firm slashed discretionary spending authorities: any cost above £500 had to be approved by himself personally.
In an effort to ‘take control’, he was not alone in trying to ensure everything was done in the right way (a management task) rather than doing the right things (a leadership responsibility). Left unchecked, this behaviour spreads to taking over day to day problem solving from their team to the point of almost doing their job. Micromanagement at the top of organisations leads to huge internal inefficiency and dysfunctional top teams as self-preservation behaviours become common place. Uncertainty on the scale before us, for an expectedly long period, demands a different response.
Vision – resisting command and control
Leaders need to resist the default behaviour of a command and control style and create space and time to focus on scanning the changing landscape, the market and the competition. This starts with the question “How can I increase my personal capacity by 50 percent?” Long hours are already prevalent so let’s not kid ourselves, working longer is an unlikely solution (even if it was, it’s hardly a smart solution).
Agility – Ready, fire, aim
The design of modern weaponry is instructive here, given its move from the traditional concepts of “ready, aim, FIRE!” to “ready, fire, AIM”, as missiles seek their target after launch, rather than before. For the vast majority of businesses unprepared for a Brexit outcome, current plans became instantly out of date. Adjusting live-in-flight is a skill to develop urgently, with agility to change course rapidly as uncertainties turn to new realities.
Getting out of the way
Fundamental to achieving the vision and agility required of leaders today is the ability to mobilise their top team to perform. Effective leaders invest the time it takes to get the environment right for effective teamwork, and invest in strengthening the individual capabilities and capacities of senior management. This frees them up to focus their energies on the right things. This kind of investment is too often de-prioritised in periods of economic stress, yet getting out of the way is the most crucial role of leadership.
Micromanagement plagued business leaders long before the Brexit vote. Tackling it matters now more than ever. Leadership’s role is to free executive teams to pursue opportunities in the new reality, creating flexible organisations with colleagues liberated to play the game in front of them. Get this right in uncertain times, then dividends will flow thereafter.”
