Dietrich Willke’s Post

As a business owner or CEO, who are you listening to? Frequently, top leaders become too close to situations. Peer advisory groups offer outside perspectives, challenge biases, and encourage innovative thinking. Talking to frontline employees and directly to customers improves engagement and loyalty from both. Better listening = better decision-making. #CEOIsolation #ActiveListening #BetterDecisions

⚡ Boardroom politics can be a silent killer of business success. While strategic discussions and healthy debates are essential, toxic power plays and personal agendas can lead to devastating consequences for an organisation. Here are a few ways in which destructive boardroom politics can undermine business objectives: 👎🏼 Erosion of Trust: When board members prioritise personal interests over collective goals, trust erodes among leadership teams. This lack of trust can trickle down through the organisation, affecting morale and collaboration at all levels. 👎🏼 Stifled Innovation: Political manoeuvring often leads to risk aversion, as board members may block innovative ideas to protect their positions. This fear of rocking the boat can stifle creativity and hinder the company's ability to adapt and grow. 👎🏼 Misaligned Goals: When the boardroom becomes a battleground for personal gain, the organisation's strategic direction can become fragmented. Misaligned goals and priorities can derail long-term planning and result in missed opportunities. 👎🏼 Decreased Productivity: Constant infighting and power struggles can distract leadership from focusing on the core business. The time and energy spent on navigating politics could be better used driving performance and achieving key objectives. 👎🏼 Reputation Damage: Internal conflicts often become public, damaging the company's reputation with stakeholders, including investors, employees, and customers. A tarnished reputation can have long-lasting effects on business prospects and stakeholder trust. Creating a culture of transparency, accountability, and mutual respect in the boardroom is crucial for fostering a healthy organisational environment. By putting the organisation's best interests first and encouraging open dialogue, businesses can navigate challenges more effectively and position themselves for sustained success. Have you experienced boardroom politics? How did you deal with it? What were / are the outcomes for the business? Let's prioritise constructive collaboration over politics, ensuring our decisions drive growth and value for all stakeholders. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #CorporateGovernance #Teamwork #Innovation #Trust #BoardroomEtiquette

The recent piece by Vistage provides valuable insights for CEOs looking to improve their decision-making skills and address feelings of being alone at the top. It highlights the significance of participating in CEO communities, collaborating closely with an executive team, actively listening to employees at all organizational levels, seeking guidance from a mentor, and seeking inspiration from a diverse range of sources. These approaches not only address the isolation that CEOs often face but also contribute to their personal development and the overall prosperity of their organizations. Check out the complete article here (https://buff.ly/3VxaXg3).

Steve Jobs was the greatest businessman, they say. But Steve Jobs wasn't great as a person, they also say. Maybe those who say the latter had challenging experiences with him. He was known to hold high standards and often dismissed people who didn’t meet them. One of his more publicized opinions? A certain disregard for consultants - believing they could always do more. When someone as influential as Jobs voices such views, it shapes perceptions. Over time, a narrative took hold: that consultants are somehow a notch below. But here’s what I believe: Consultants are some of the sharpest minds in the room. They bring immense value - not just to one place, but across multiple spaces, industries, and problems. Their networks? Often 100x larger than those in non-consulting environments. That reach allows them to connect people, solve challenges, and give back through countless pro bono efforts. So, why do some still treat consultants with disregard? Consultants are enablers, connectors, and problem solvers. They are architects of transformation who deliver impact where it’s needed most. Respecting their work isn’t about hierarchy - it’s about recognizing their unique ability to contribute across the board. To anyone still holding onto outdated perceptions, I say: pause and reflect. The value of consultants goes far beyond the projects they deliver - it touches lives, solves real problems, and builds bridges for others to succeed. And a final thought for us all : - Thousands of people, in their final moments, have said, “I wish I could have done more for my family, loved ones, friends, and society.” Not once have they said, “I wish I could build two more companies” or “I wish I could settle on Mars.” Greatness isn’t about how much you achieve in isolation - it’s about how many lives you touch. Let’s change the narrative. Let’s celebrate every contribution, every effort, and every consultant who works to make the world a little better. #ConsultantsMatter #EcosystemBuilders #LeadershipLessons #RespectAndCollaboration #WorkWithHeart #Talentiser

The best CEOs skillfully balance building lasting stakeholder relationships and ensuring the organization’s survival in a competitive environment. These two priorities are interconnected, as strong stakeholder relationships often enhance an organization's resilience and long-term success. Here’s how both aspects complement each other: How CEOs Build Lasting Stakeholder Relationships Trust and Transparency: Great CEOs prioritize honesty and clear communication with stakeholders, fostering trust even in challenging times. Shared Vision: They align stakeholders with a compelling organizational vision that serves mutual interests. Long-term Focus: By prioritizing sustainable growth and ethical practices, they create value for stakeholders, ensuring loyalty and support. Adaptability: Successful CEOs actively engage stakeholders to adapt to market changes, ensuring their strategies remain relevant. Examples include companies like Patagonia, where a focus on sustainability attracts both loyal customers and investors. Organizational Survival in Cut-Throat Competition Short-term Decisions for Survival: In challenging times, CEOs may prioritize cost-cutting, restructuring, or innovation to remain competitive. Market Positioning: They often make tough choices, such as entering new markets or divesting unprofitable segments, to safeguard the organization’s future. Performance Pressure: The pressure to deliver immediate results can sometimes lead to decisions that momentarily deprioritize stakeholder relationships. For example, during a crisis, a CEO might implement layoffs or focus more on financial recovery, potentially straining relationships with employees or communities.

How is success defined for a CEO in their first year in office? What should they do and by when? What does great really look like We lay out what to know in our new report, specifically for new CEOs: https://bit.ly/3WBz2CM   #TheNewCEO #CEO #CEOSuccession

Why is healthy discourse essential for high-growth exec teams? 🤔 Operating Partner Steve Schloss' "Mastering Debate: The Need for Healthy and Open Discourse on High-Growth Executive Teams" blog delves into the dynamics of constructive debate and its role in fostering innovation and strategic clarity. Check it out 👇 #masteringdebate #healthydiscourse #electrifyinggrowth

How Do You Navigate Resistance from Vested Partners? A Question Every Leader Wants the Answer To. When leaders embark on the journey of business transformation and growth, they often encounter a formidable challenge - resistance from vested partners and stakeholders. This clash of perspectives creates a high-stakes scenario, pitting the leader's bold vision against entrenched traditional mindsets. The resistance, stemming from concerns like financial risk or disagreement with the proposed strategy, initiates a delicate dance of power dynamics. At this moment, the leader's response becomes paramount. They face a critical choice of confronting the resistance head-on or embrace a more collaborative approach. Confrontation risks escalating tension and potential fallout, while collaboration demands a nuanced understanding of stakeholder concerns. By fostering open dialogue and articulating a compelling narrative, a leader can potentially transform resistance into support, forging a unified front for impending changes. However, when resistance persists and it appears that vested partners are not ready for change, the situation becomes more complex. Continuous resistance may indicate deeper-rooted issues within the partnership or organisation, such as cultural barriers or conflicting interests. In such cases, leaders must reevaluate their approach and consider alternative strategies. One option is to conduct a thorough assessment of the partnership dynamics and stakeholder motivations to pinpoint the underlying reasons for resistance. This diagnostic process can uncover hidden concerns or barriers that need to be addressed before progress can be made. Additionally, leaders may need to recalibrate their expectations and timelines, recognising that change takes time and requires patience. If it becomes apparent that certain vested partners are unwilling or unable to adapt to the proposed transformation, leaders may need to reassess the partnership itself. This could involve renegotiating terms, seeking alternative partnerships, or even considering a strategic realignment of business objectives. While challenging, making tough decisions in the best interest of the organisation’s long-term growth may ultimately be necessary. There is no correct answer to the question and we never fully arrive. However, finding solutions for the health and wellbeing of the organisation is an ongoing journey rather than a destination with a fixed endpoint. #NavigatingStakeholderResistance

"In the heart of a bustling telecom company, where decisions once echoed through closed doors, a whisper of change stirred. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way, “John Maxwell words hung in the air, igniting a spark within the CEO. Observing a disconnection between strategy and reality, the CEO embarked on a journey of transformation. Skip level lunch meetings became the bridge between ivory tower decisions and frontline perspectives. With each : ♻️ Gathering, a ♻️ New chapter unfolded,as ♻️ Executives listened, ♻️ Learned, and ♻️ Led by example. As the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, the #culture within the firm began to shift. An open-door policy welcomed : 📣 Dialogue and 📣 Collaboration, replacing the isolation of the past with the 📣 Vitality of collective insight. Through the corridors and cubicles, a new #rhythm emerged – one of management by walking around. Leaders traversed the terrain, not just in #boardrooms but in the pulse of everyday operations. Simultaneously, employees felt seen, heard, and #valued, as their experiences shaped the path forward. With each #step, the gap between strategy and #execution closed, and a symphony of synergy resounded throughout the company. The once-disconnected dots of decision-making now painted a picture of #cohesion and #clarity. In the end, it wasn't just about knowing the way, but actively walking it alongside others. And in doing so, the CEO, like a beacon in the night, illuminated the way forward for all." SHARE ♻️ if you found this #inspirational follow Dr Joshua Awesome for more #flowstate #energymatters #leadershipdevelopment #Organisationalculture #linkedintopvoices

𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 #leadershippitfall In a modern conference room of a thriving MNC firm, Rajan, the divisional head, standing in the front, in his tailored suit and confident posture addressed his team: “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚.” The words hung in the air.  Rajan’s direct reports, each with over a decade of industry expertise, exchanged glances. Their ideas were shelved before they could be voiced. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐭 In weeks, the cracks showed: 𝑰𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅: Smitha stopped sharing her ideas. “Why bother?” she thought. 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒘 𝒖𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚: Alex, a senior client success manager followed Rajan’s rushed timeline, despite voicing concerns. The presentation fell flat before the client, because of incomplete data insights. 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅: Feeling undervalued, their inputs overlooked by Rajan’s unilateral decision-making.  Members began eyeing the exit door. The team settled into autopilot, executing without questioning a habit that killed innovation. As performance faltered and attrition rose, the division’s progress stalled. The business impact was obvious, and whispers of disengagement reached the C-suite. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 Prathiba, the CEO, soon requested a meeting with Rajan for a candid and open conversation. "Rajan, you have a talented team, you are not utilizing them. Leadership isn’t about dictating; it’s about enabling. Let’s fix this." Rajan with the CEO and CPO identified an executive coach who helped him rebuild his approach. With coaching, he shifted his style in the next strategy meeting: 𝑨𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕: “What’s the best way forward?” sparked fresh ideas he had not considered previously 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒔: “Alex, your insights are sharp can you lead this?” rekindled confidence. 𝑨𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒖𝒍𝒕: “I have been too rigid. Let’s change that.” Inducing psychological safety 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 Months later, the division rebounded — innovation soared, clients returned, and the team felt valued again. Rajan’s leadership evolution became a case study within the company, inspiring others to rethink their management styles. Have you experienced something similar? What helped you or your team to recover and thrive? #BusinessImpact #PsychologicalSafety #CultureAndPerformance #HRM #OrganizationalDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #TeamEmpowerment