By Raine St.Claire
According to a recent Harvard Study, the most proficient leaders adjust their tactics by reevaluating their proactive approach or “action orientation” to effectively address the current issue. In contrast, the study highlighted that executives who adhere to outdated methodologies while facing new challenges frequently encounter shortcomings.
Navigating organisational reinvention is rarely a linear endeavour. More often than not, this process resembles an up and down journey marked by peaks of success and troughs of challenges. Even prestigious organisations face this reality, notwithstanding their leaders’ prowess in mitigating disruptions.
In an ever-evolving landscape, leadership is inherently dynamic and adaptable. There exists no universal formula applicable to all circumstances. Ryan Raffaelli, the Marvin Bower Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, notes that an organisation’s triumph hinges on leaders’ ability to tailor their leadership style to specific challenges. Paradoxically, a leader’s prior accomplishments can sometimes transform into their most significant obstacle.
Raffaelli delves into the concept that leaders often fall into three distinct “action orientations”—analytical, contextual, or relational—dictating their responses in unfamiliar situations. The challenge for leaders is to fashion an approach that blends elements from all three orientations. This amalgamation is crucial since excessive reliance on any one orientation can lead to subpar action plans, derailing effective execution.
Raffaelli’s analysis derives from his deep-rooted research interest in the attributes of leaders who adeptly reshape themselves to tackle novel challenges. This perspective amalgamates insights from his MBA course, Leadership: Execution and Action Planning (LEAP), and observations of mid-career executives in executive education settings. Over the past decade, Raffaelli has prompted numerous students and managers to explore their preferred orientation persona and its implications.
“I’ve delved into the traps that organisations and leaders face when endeavouring to transform themselves,” he explains. “Leaders often devise a strategy they believe will yield success based on their prior experiences—effectively transforming an organisation within a particular context. However, when the context shifts and they apply the same strategy, it often proves futile.”