I just read the book titled, Strategy Rules co-authored by a professor from Harvard and another from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. This book profiles Bill Gates, Andy Grove and Steve Jobs from the point of view of how they learnt to become great strategists. It was an insightful and absorbing read.
The authors assert that all the three were not born with great strategy skills, but learnt and became good at it. All of them faced their own share of challenges with their firm’s strategy that they overcame with determination.
Many leaders, young or experienced, have a hard time recovering from “breakdowns” in their plans and programmes. It may even immobilise them to a great extent.
The fact is that the most significant and admired breakthroughs have happened after such breakdowns. So, there is actually no need to despair and give up. We need to become aware of the traps when the going gets tough and stay out of them. Breakdowns are, in reality, a leader’s most underrated ally!
If we analyse and harness these breakdowns, they can be a source of great strength and success, leading to breakthroughs. Some of the common traps are listed below. See which of these define your own reaction to the breakdowns you may experience from time to time:
Secrecy: This pitfall is understandable. Since most of us view breakdowns as negative, and are often ashamed, we avoid making these phases known to our superiors and colleagues. Our instinct is to fix the situation before others find out! In reality, the cost of hiding breakdowns can be very expensive.
Blame: Though a leader’s ultimate test of tenacity and honesty is how he or she copes with breakdowns, even the smartest leaders are known to regress and throw tantrums when faced with failures. The norm in many companies is that you should speak up only when you have good news to share! The bearer of bad news stands the risk of being blamed! So, when breakdowns happen, the tendency is to blame yourself, your colleagues, or even the whole game of business!
Hope: Waiting is the name of the game. When a breakdown happens, most leaders believe hope is the cure. While hope is not necessarily bad, it is not the solution. It may make more sense to get up, confront it, and move on. Leadership guru Warren Bennis has this to say: “Leaders dismiss anything that clashes with their beliefs!”
Hedge: Many leaders, when confronted with breakdowns, change their goals instead of stretching to fill the gap. The fact is that breakdowns are often stepping stones to breakthroughs, provided there is a commitment to staying the course.
The case of how Viagra emerged as a breakthrough drug illustrates this. When Pfizer tested its new drug Sildenafil as a new heart medicine, it showed unwelcome side effects! Luckily, the Pfizer managers did not keep this a secret. They did not waver in their commitment to make a blockbuster drug. The malfunctioning heart drug became Viagra, which crossed $1-billion in sales in its very first year!
So, what is the message here for the leaders? Simple, yet powerful:
Declare your breakdowns: This helps confront the gaps between current and desired performance. A breakdown then becomes a wake-up call that puts you back in the driver’s seat!
Assert your background commitment: It takes a new vigour and effort to convince everyone of your commitment to reach the goal, and this will ensure that people pursue it with renewed passion and energy, even after failures.
Search for options and declare a breakthrough: Remember, Steve Jobs almost led Apple to bankruptcy during his first stint. That he did not give up made all the difference, which resulted in the breakthroughs that define Apple. So, brainstorm with your team for extraordinary options. This is where you declare your intent to proceed from breakdown to breakthrough and take everyone along on the journey.
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