Outside-in Leadership (page 1 of 4)

Synopsis
The concept of business leadership generates endless discussion, commentary and theorizing. Everybody wants "the formula" that helps executives conquer the myriad challenges of management. Indeed, dozens of books and articles espouse distinctive models and mantras for success in the executive suite - many of them penned by self-appointed celebrity leaders. Many of these treatments focus on an inside-out approach that suggests the process of being (or becoming) a successful leader is largely a function of personal analysis, aspiration, improvement and fulfillment. The focus is on the leader him/herself, with an emphasis on finding the right mix of skills, tools and behavior to become the next Jack Welch. This approach is short sighted, and ultimately doomed to failure if there is no commensurate attention to the external factors in any leadership situation - the so-called outside elements.

Leaders who desire true success must strive to be credible and relevant with the major stakeholders that impact their company, and even industry. To do this, they must follow an outside-in orientation that goes beyond personal goals and seeks to identify and address the external realities that shape their particular leadership situations. In essence, defining a leadership role or identity for executives shouldn't be an insular exercise in academic experimentation or personal fulfillment. Rather, it must be a strategic process as rigorous and methodical as the development and promotion of a brand. Indeed, the process should ideally be similar to creating and burnishing a product or corporate brand.

As with traditional branding, the "product" - in this case, the leader - is certainly crucial. But it's just the starting point. Other factors must shape the final identity, purpose and inherent "promise" of the product/leader. This is precisely where many leadership recipes fall short.

The context: Gurus and silver bullets
Many leadership models and success stories detailed in a flood of recent books and articles are based on a type of "star system," where the person is both the medium and the message, and personal growth and validation is the objective. (We note the recent book by Jim Collins, From Good to Great, as a prominent exception.) In these cases, leadership success is rooted on leveraging, or expanding, the talents of the individual leader and/or adopting new management formulas or roles. Many treatments are explicit or implicit commercials for the emulation of past and present business legends, while others focus on models for personality diagnoses or ready-to-use formulas for success.

These approaches typically tout an inherently solipsistic model, where leaders experiment with various recipes and roles for personal success. Self-actualization and self-improvement are the underlying mantras. The implication, of course, is that individual aspiration and success will translate into broader corporate achievements.

The shortcomings of the star model
There are three fundamental shortcomings with this "cult of personality" paradigm, however.

First, these models are often bereft of context, particularly those that prescribe a "quick fix" approach. There is often little or no consideration for how these individual prescriptions can fit into various scenarios or situations. The focus on the self is often at the expense of attention to the circumstances and needs of a particular company. It essentially ignores the reality that a company's success depends on more than the will of its leader, and that one of the core elements of leadership is to foster loyal followers.