🍎 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 What truly determines the success or failure of a strategic change? Last Sunday, I was an industry speaker at the National University of Singapore’s Chief Strategy Officer Program. It’s always energizing to connect with sharp minds, dissect real-world cases, and illuminate the pivotal role leadership, people, and communication play in strategic success—or failure. 🍏 An ideal case involved a turnaround that worked beautifully because the leaders embraced open communication, leaned into feedback, and built trust from the ground up. The strategy wasn’t just implemented—it was owned by every member of the team. 🍏𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰: a brilliant strategy, solid market research, and the right tools. Yet, it faltered because of one individual—a toxic leader who disrupted collaboration and demoralized the team. Despite repeated coaching sessions, their refusal to shift behavior meant hard decisions had to be made. 🍏 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: a rotten apple can spoil the whole bunch. Sometimes, protecting the organization means recognizing when coaching isn’t enough. When the toxic person left, the team flourished, morale soared, and the strategy succeeded beyond expectations. 🍏 One thoughtful participant asked: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴?” Be direct, compassionate, and always frame it around shared goals. Tough conversations done well can strengthen, not strain, relationships. 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 🍎 #𝟭 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 Don’t ignore signs of destructive behavior. Coach with compassion, but set clear boundaries and timelines for change. Let go if it affects the team performance. 🍎 #𝟮 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 The best strategies are dead in the water without a team that believes in them. Invest in trust and empowerment. 🍎 #𝟯 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 Over-communicate the “why” behind changes. Make sure every team member feels seen, heard, and part of the journey. In fact, if you can gather the feedback before the planning, it would even be better for greater involvement and ownership at all levels. Have you encountered a "rotten apple" moment in your leadership journey? How did you address it? #leadership #strategy #communications #speaker #trainer #coach #teamwork #toxic #chiefstrategyofficer #cso #coaching #brandbuildertalents Linkedin News LinkedIn News Asia LinkedIn for Learning LinkedIn for Sales LinkedIn Talent Solutions National University of Singapore
This reminds me of leading a research team where one member resisted collaboration and undermined trust. Addressing it directly, we set clear expectations and timelines for change. When no progress was made, we made the tough call to part ways. The result? A more cohesive team, improved morale, and a project that exceeded expectations. Sometimes, removing toxicity is the catalyst for collective success.
彭子宸 Anne Phey Your insights on the impact of leadership on strategic success are so powerful! The examples you shared really highlight how critical open communication and trust are within a team. It’s a tough truth that sometimes, addressing toxicity is necessary for the overall health of the organization. I completely agree with your takeaways—especially the importance of prioritizing people and fostering a culture of trust. I’ve definitely encountered similar challenges in my own journey, and addressing them directly, yet compassionately, has made all the difference. Thank you for sharing these valuable lessons!
Your insights on leadership and the critical role of communication in driving strategic success are truly inspiring. It's a powerful reminder that fostering trust and addressing toxicity head-on can lead to remarkable transformations within teams. Thank you for sharing your valuable experiences.
I resonate with #1 and I think the need to address toxic behaviour can practically be difficult for many especially if its ingrained in the culture so much as to have such behaviour accepted as "the way it is" and normal. 彭子宸 Anne Phey
Insightful post! Your emphasis on addressing toxicity early and fostering trust resonates deeply. A clear ‘why’ paired with relentless communication can truly turn strategies into success stories. Thank you for sharing these practical lessons!
Great insights! Addressing a toxic team member early is critical, it’s never easy, but necessary for the greater good. I’ve had my share of tough conversations, and framing them around shared goals really does help keep relationships intact.
彭子宸 Anne Phey Thank you for always being so willing to share your experiences and expertise . Will continue to root and cheer for you sister ❤️
Strategic Advisor & Speaker | Top Leadership Voice | Amazon #1 Author | 50+ Awards - Innovation Leader, Asia Woman Leader | Ex-C-Suite IBM MTV Asia | Top Executive Coaching Company with Training & ICF Coach Certification
1moIt is always a learning experience both ways with the participants and special thanks to all of you for your active participation. National University of Singapore Ben Thorpe Alex Chua Capt.Tanuj Gera Lada Shelkovnikova Caroline Chang Mark Lim Dr Charles Chao Rong Phua 潘超荣 CMC-AF SID-SRAD and all the participants, apologies if i didn't manage to tag you.