Carol Bartz sur le leadership

Après Carol Bartz sur le management, voici ce qu'elle a à dire sur le leadership. Tiré du numéro 'The World in 2010' de The Economist.

Leadership in the information age

In this environment, traditional management is impossible, or at least ill-advised. The hierarchical, layered corporate structures in which company information was carefully managed and then selectively passed down the line have crumbled. The online era has made command-and-control management as dead as dial-up internet.

That’s why the greatest mandate for leadership in business is the ability to cut through the information clutter and make clear decisions without apology. More than at any time, employees need—in fact, desperately want—unequivocal direction.

The central role of information in business life has made two other much neglected leadership tasks more urgent.

The first is listening. It is a hoary cliché of management schools that a good boss knows how to listen. But this shouldn’t be merely an exercise in empathy. Listening to your employees at every level is one of the best paths to new insights.

The second obligation that information creates for executives is to identify and mentor thought leaders. In the past, seeking out “high potential” employees typically meant looking for those who could climb the next rung of the management ladder. That remains important. But equally pressing is finding those employees who, though perhaps not the best managers, have the ability to digest and interpret information for others. Grooming these in-house ideas people helps foster a culture of openness to fresh thinking—the greatest energy an organisation can have.