Categories

Archives

Humility as a Business Tool

Posted on February 7th, 2012

From theAcademy of Management Journal comes research looking at the value of humility in leaders. It’s no surprise that leaders who display a higher level of personal humility are better liked. What is a bit more of a surprise is that there organizations tend to be more successful in the marketplace as well.  If you don’t subscribe to the journal you can’t read the article online.  A solid but susinct description can be found in an article at the Atlantic. This is encouraging.  From a human perspective it’s nice to see that positive traits can lead to success in the business world.  It’s mildly discouraging to note that this trait has the biggest positive benefit for white male leaders largely because others expect humility less from them.

Filed under: Business Strategy, Demographics, Leadership | No Comments »

Who Contributes to Strategy?

Posted on February 10th, 2011

“In any strategic dicussion 30% of the participants should be younger than 30 years of age.” So says Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble in the January/February edition of the Harvard Business Review. The point they make is that younger people see constant change as an ongoing part of life and business. They are less likely to become attached to a specific plan, point of view or perspective. As a result, they are more likely to anticiapte change and adapt accordingly.

By and large I agree. The generation that is growing up with today’s pace of change will be less likely to become fixed in their views- at least for now. The point that the authors make is most true in those arenas where change is measured in weeks rather than years, like technology, media and communications. It’s likely to be less useful in areas like mining, supply chain or finance. Being flexible is useful in any business or function, but some change more quickly than others.

So here’s another thought- in fields where change is constant, why wouldn’t we also make sure that 30% of participants in strategic discussions are over 50 or 60 years old?  Have you flown lately?  Did you notice how many senior citizens were on the flight?  And the extra attention/support some of them needed boarding?  Given the demographic size of this age group currently in the U.S. they account for a sizable piece of the purchasing public. Sure, there are an increasing number of commercials for age-related products, but an older population still travels, go to movies, drives cars and uses phones. This group should provide valuable perspective on changing needs even in modern, fast-paced businesses.

Filed under: Business Strategy | No Comments »