Here's a reality check: most boards, CEOs, and C-level teams want their organizations to be more efficient, innovative, and vibrant. The drive to go from "good" to "great," and from "great" to "greatest" has always been present in successful organizations. But it's a global business world and a more disruptive and potentially turbulent one, too. The stakes are higher and the demand for transformation stronger.
Another reality is that regardless of an organization's transformation goal (such as being more innovative, customer-centric, globally focused, etc.), most business transformations fail. The Boston Consulting Group, PwC, as well as research I conducted for my new book Cultural Transformations estimate the rate of business transformation failure at 75% and higher. Why is that?
First of all, it has nothing to do with the vision being "wrong" or having a strategy that won't work. The main reason transformation efforts fail is because leaders are unwilling or unable to "disrupt" themselves. Transformation simply won't happen without leadership, starting in the C-suite. The CEO and other C-level executives must be open, passionate, and persistent about transforming themselves. That way they are prepared to embrace and lead change and committed to continuous learning. Self-disruption is mandatory for preparing to lead people and teams to true transformation.
My experience as a transformation consultant and senior executive coach has led me to key non-negotiable leading indicators that are essential to igniting and embedding an organization-wide transformational attitude. Specifically, to achieve a successful transformation, all C-level leaders must be open to developing and calibrating both individual and collective capabilities with seven non-negotiable key traits.
- Think different and think big. Thinking different and being unafraid to think big are necessary for any organization to keep pace with change in the twenty-first century, and it has to begin with the CEO. An organization's capability to lead real transformation starts with the CEO having new attitudes, behaviors, and habits. Most organizations trail behind in developing the capabilities that lead to a more interconnected culture, and thriving in the face of change requires an even greater stretch for most. If and only if the CEO and other C-level leaders think different and think big will all leaders and employees be willing to do the same.