Own the Future: 50 Ways to Win from The Boston Consulting Group

Part X

Inspiring

Today's successful leaders do not bark orders. Instead, they strive to create conditions that allow their teams to succeed. They aim to inspire their organizations rather than intimidate or instruct them.

John Clarkeson, a former CEO of BCG, foresaw this evolution two decades ago. His chapter, “Jazz vs. Symphony,” written in 1990, posited that tomorrow's winning company would be more flexible and place a greater premium on creating synergies across the organization, operating “more like a collection of jazz ensembles than a symphony orchestra.” The leader of such an organization would have the ability to inspire people to put their best abilities forward in the service of the team. In doing so the leader must ask penetrating “why” questions to better understand the environment and to help his or her team to do likewise. Chapter 47, “Probing,” explains how current and budding leaders can do this effectively.

Inspiring organizations, we have found, are not simply better directed than other companies. They are broadly more capable, in part as a result of employees' willingness and ability

to self-direct. Chapter 48, “Smart Simplicity,” describes six ways—smart rules—in which leaders can foster this orientation and aptitude by building an environment conducive to collaboration and the development of creative solutions. By implementing the six smart rules, leaders can promote more effective, less complicated, faster decision making—and ultimately a smarter, more streamlined ...