Leadership’s 21^st Century Business Model

By

Dr. Alfred M. Coke

The major building blocks of management science have been shattered over the last decade.

Traditional models are not bad – they just don’t work anymore.

Every model we learned about business has been challenged.

The proposed replacement models cannot be validated.

Therefore, every model is suspect.

These foundation blocks include leadership theories, concepts, and applications. The bottom line is that leadership as described at the turn of the 20^th Century simply will not work when applied directly to the 21^st Century conditions. Those models were right for their day but a new era has dawned. It is time to rise to the new situation.

A canvas of major management materials leads us to the conclusion that a sound business leadership applications model can be built from what we have learned in this shifting scenario. The proposed model is based on five items:

Item #1 - Vision: This is not new but needs reinforcement. A leader has to describe the future which in turn creates challenge. A vision sets the stake in the ground for people to work toward goal accomplishment. Conclusive evidence finds that organizations with a vision are better led than those without. Employees express confidence when the company leadership knows and can describe where it is taking the enterprise.

Item #2 - Modern Business Theory: Continued application of out dated management practices will cause significant business failure in today’s social and political environment. As we open to a global base we must off-set leadership styles and applications with cultural variances. What works in one country would be appalling in another. Leaders must be aware of these nuances when dealing with a cultural mix in the work force.

Item #3 - A Business Plan: We are past the point of argument as to plan or not to plan. Effective planning speaks for itself in terms of quantifiable results. Employees are smart and are starting to tag managers who don’t plan as ineffectual. They experience the business plan/results relationship at their operational level. Also people need the structure, direction, and stability derived from a plan. No plan, no common comfort leveler, therefore inept leadership.

Item #4 - A Story: Every company has a story whether it is documented in written form or not. It is who you are, how you do business, and how you represent yourself. This is your principle attractor or rejecter for finding, hiring, and retaining high quality employees.

Item #5 - Results in Real Time: Lethargy is not an attractor for high performing followers. Nobody wants to follow a slug. Team members follow a leader who gets things done. They expect replicable, consistent high targets of performance from their leadership.

In Summary

Leadership has a new model that starts with a vision and cascades to real time results. It accounts for both organization and employee stability. It provides direction and purpose and it tells an effective story to attract and retain peak performers.