Wartime leaders look a lot different than peacetime leaders. Think Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, vs Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton:
Wartime: Peacetime:
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Take action quickly |
Seek consensus, preserve status quo |
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Make decisions with a close inner circle |
Involve all stakeholders in decisions |
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Move with a sense of focused urgency |
Enjoy the perqs of office |
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Worry about success, not personal survival |
Walk an easier path to success |
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Make tough, sometimes painful calls in the interests of winning |
Look more on the bright side |
Many companies today are at war: with the economy, with competitors, with a shrinking talent pool. But their CEOs lead as if they’re in peacetime.
So are you at war or at peace? Adjust your leadership accordingly.
