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Isolationist Leaders

There is a long-standing organizational principle that states the performance of an organization is predicated on the effectiveness of the organization, which in turn is a reflection of the congruence or fit of the various subunits within the organization.  In other words, if the departments or functions of a company don’t work well together — the overall performance of the enterprise will suffer.

In error, we often recognize and reward leaders for accomplishments related to the specific performance of their area of responsibility.  We rarely view their performance from an integrated systems perspective as to how well they play with others and effectively support the overall strategy of the company.  Do what you do best — becomes our plea, their goal, creating an isolationist leader.  They succeed at the micro-organizational level by garnering resources, hoarding information, stealing talent and building an island empire unto themselves.  On paper, their island is highly productive, yet, as a cog in the overall machine of the organization they are disconnected — spinning freely without engagement with other parts of the machine.

These isolationist leaders, if left to their own island, become significant barriers in the organizational march to become more integrated.  As the organization is faced with responding to external challenges, these leaders close the ranks on their island and fail to engage in the necessary strategic retro-fit necessary to compete.  They are not to be blamed in the overall scheme of history.  They are what we have made them.  They have been allowed and even lauded for their isolationist strategies.  The informal arrangements of the company recognize they are not to be bothered, challenged or assumed to be cooperative.  As leaders, we have allowed them to plant their flag of independence at the expense of organizational performance.

When faced with organizational change, we must integrate every subunit of our organization around a shared strategy that reflects the current environment.  Isolationist leaders don’t go quietly.  They often must be overthrown in a confusing turn about of leadership priorities.  We allowed them for years to rule their own nation — what has changed, they wonder.  The change is the necessity of change.  The organizational principle remains the same — strategic success is only found in the full integration of every unit of our organization.  Isolationist leaders must be overthrown.