Cracking the Leadership Code

INTRODUCTIONDeciphering the Code: Why I Wrote This Book

In 2007, a large, well-known organization had a problem. Their service wasn't keeping pace with their customers' expectations. The organization's leadership had to act.

And did they ever. As part of their 87-page strategic transformation plan, they wrote:

Customers form expectations on critical attributes such as waiting time in line based on their experience with other similar services, and compare (our) performance to best-in-class providers.¹

In other words, customers were complaining that they had to wait too long in line. The organization's leadership knew, however, that defining the problem was not enough. They had to do something about it. In a declaration of intent, they confidently pronounced that they were

committed to changing with its customers, designing new products to meet new needs, and creating new solutions that customers value.²

It all sounded good.

These published promises mirrored the organization's published “core set of enduring goals that guide all of (our) strategic initiatives and continuous improvement efforts.”³

They were using all the right words. So what did they actually end up doing?

One of the biggest customer complaints was long wait times to talk with a customer service representative at their 37,000 retail locations.

To address the issue, these bold leaders executed their most innovative idea:

• They removed the clocks from the walls of every location.

No, really.

That's what the United ...