Friday Features: 02-August-2019
Friday Features - a weekly selection of useful insights from business schools, consulting firms and publications to help you Unleash Your Leadership
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BY LINDRED GREER / FRIEDA KLOTZ via MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW
In recent years, agile and flat working structures have gained favor at many companies and struck a responsive chord with employees who are put off by stifling hierarchies. But doing away with hierarchy can cause confusion, spark complaints from employees, and hasten departures, says Lindred (Lindy) Greer, associate professor of management and organizations at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and faculty director at its Sanger Leadership Center. While agreeing that rigid forms of hierarchy can impede innovation, she has found that it can provide many important benefits when managed well
BY PHILIP ROSENZWEIG via IMD RESEARCH & KNOWLEDGE
Decisions are a part of life and while they range in complexity, we face various decisions on a daily basis. But how can we best make decisions that lead to optimal outcomes? With an ever-growing wealth of research on the topic, decision making is being transformed into a science that can aid greatly in guiding decisions. However, undoubtedly useful in certain circumstances, the application of such research highly depends on the kind of decisions being made, especially in the business world
BY OLIVER BLADEK et AL. via MCKINSEY INSIGHTS
Embarking on a transformation is one of the most critical decisions a CEO will ever make. It requires big commitments both internally and externally, and puts the spotlight on her or his ability to lead and deliver. The context and need for transformation are always different, but the level of commitment and focus from the CEO is invariably the same. A successful transformation puts her or his career on a new pathway—as does an unsuccessful effort.
BY Richard Spady & Joshua Hinkel via BAIN Insights
Most manufacturers have operations teams skilled in the core methodologies to improve efficiency and quality—Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, TPS and Kanban. But it is rare to see Agile teams working their magic on the shop floor or the supply chain. In fact, only 2% of teams that use Scrum, the most popular form of Agile, are in operations functions, according to Scrum Alliance.
BY Ed Fraunheim via FORTUNE
The research shows that the style of leadership millennials are modeling and seeking to emulate is more diverse and inclusive than in previous generations. It’s more about partnership. It’s more about staying true to personal values. And it’s more about making space for people—father and mothers especially—to care for loved ones outside of work.
We hope you enjoyed reading this issue of Friday Features as much as we did putting it together. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please do write in.
Narayan Kamath
