The AMA Handbook of Leadership

CHAPTER 13

The Real Legacy of Leadership:

Aligning Rhetoric with Reality

➤ Albert A. Vicere

Whether you lead a global organization or a small team,

success depends on instilling in your followers a clear,

shared image of the purpose and aspirations of the orga-

nization. In times of change and uncertainty, people look

to their leaders for inspiration and confidence. Skilled

leaders reflect a sense of purpose and perseverance; those

less skilled reflect a sense of confusion and desperation.

This chapter explores the boundaries between inspiration

and desperation, between organizational effectiveness

and ineffectiveness, between skilled and less skilled lead-

ership. The focus of our exploration is on the critical need

for leaders to ensure that their rhetoric and that of their

organization match the reality of the organization’s oper-

ating environment and culture—that is, that the organiza-

tion actually is what its strategy and mission statements

say it aspires to be. Our discussion will show that when

leaders achieve that objective and align purpose and aspi-

rations with focus and activity, they create the foundation

for a high-performance organization.

THE CHALLENGE

Mission and strategy statements may define an organiza-

tion’s direction and aspirations, but the reality of econom-

ic and competitive environments can easily shift a com-

pany’s focus from lofty goals to short-term survival.

© 2001–2009, Vicere Associates, Inc., 11350 Nut Hatch Lane,

Petersburg, PA 16669. All rights reserved.

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133

People and organizations have a choice: either they continue to learn and

evolve as circumstances around them shift, or they fall victim to changing

environmental pressures. Great leaders reflect a sense of focus and purpose

that not only adds meaning to work but also helps make organizations more

dynamic, decisive, and adept at responding to change.

High-performing organizations stay vital by resisting decay. As they mature,

their leaders successfully manage the tension between adaptation—perfect-

ing and improving existing products, services, and processes—and innova-

tion—doing things differently, offering unique products, or changing the

rules.

1

These leaders realize that the healthiest organizational cultures main-

tain a balance between these two perspectives: they continually strive to get

better, yet remain open to new ideas and new ways of thinking. They do this

by ensuring that the organization retains a sense of purpose and meaning

along with a relentless drive for performance.

THE CONTEXT

Scan typical corporate mission statements and you will note that most compa-

nies aspire to be some combination of innovative, customer driven, market

leading, employee focused, performance oriented, and of course, profitable.

Although admirable, most leaders would agree that living up to those traits

consistently over time is incredibly demanding and extremely difficult. That is

not to challenge corporate aspirations, but simply to make an obvious observa-

tion: declaring aspirations is much easier than actually achieving them.

My research, coupled with my years of experience as a consultant, has con-

vinced me that the key to resolving this perplexing challenge is rooted in the

ability of leaders to reconcile the rhetoric of corporate aspirations with the

reality of the corporate operating environment. Organizations need aspira-

tions, and as Jim Collins reminded us in his book

Built to Last: Successful

Habits of Visionary Companies (HarperBusiness, 2004), people seek the

exuberance of being part of an organization with “Big Hairy Audacious

Goals.” But if the organization’s declared purpose and aspirations are out of

synch with its operating environment, if people within the organization expe-

rience a culture that is very different from its stated purpose and aspirations,

the organization is headed for disaster.

Consider an example. Imagine you worked for the Bank (it could be any type

of business) and it had recently created a new strategy and mission statement

134 Part Three Engaging People

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