Leadership: McKinsey's approach is too self-centred

Published: 2010-11-08 There are 11 comments ... please add yours below

This Potshot was prompted by:

Prompted by “The value of centered leadership: McKinsey Global Survey results”
by Joanna Barsh, Josephine Mogelof, Caroline Webb – McKinsey Quarterly October 2010

URL: https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/The_value_of_centered_leadership_McKinsey_Global_Survey_results_2679

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You can lead better if you diagnose what’s holding people back from full understanding and commitment

not being seduced by the ego-satisfaction of your own priorities, strengths and needs

I worked at McKinsey and Company many years ago and still hold the firm in high esteem. But, an article in their Quarterly (October 2010) worries me on two grounds. First, its starting point for successful leadership is what motivates the leader rather than those being led. Second, it relies on self-assessed evaluations (by leaders), in which much evidence seems tautological. Like asking a golfer which iron she uses most proficiently. Say, a sand wedge. Then seeing proof of something in a later answer that she’s good at getting out of bunkers or sand traps – when that’s what a wedge is for. So, I’m concerned that McKinsey’s “centred leadership” is possibly self-centred – and even self-deceptive. Would people say that of your leadership?

Here’s the first paragraph of the McKinsey article. “Over the past six years, McKinsey has developed a map of capabilities we call centered leadership. This concept has five dimensions: meaning, or finding your strengths and putting them to work in the service of a purpose that inspires you; positive framing, or adopting a more constructive way to view your world and convert even difficult situations into opportunities; connecting, or building a stronger sense of community and belonging; engaging, or pursuing opportunities disguised by risk; and energizing, or practicing ways to sustain your energy on a long leadership journey.”

Much of the above makes intuitive sense. Everyone supports being proactive and positive. But, picking up on my first reservation (self-centredness), what if your people’s needs don’t play to your strengths – or align with your purpose? Do you give up on them? What if the first step requires establishing the need for change: do you just skip this and reframe? Probably not.

Re my second qualifier (self-deception), do we – as in their survey – let leaders self-judge their company’s performance? No, we leave that to the market: customers, analysts and other stakeholders. So, why not a similar arm’s length approach to their leadership evaluation?

In crafting my three-step, Leadership Action Planning tool over the last four decades, my starting point has been each leader’s customers: particularly, the members of his or her team.

What are the concerns and questions holding them back?
What types of leadership actions might address those concerns?
What specific actions will you take: your personal action list for the coming period?

It’s not rocket science but better than a selfish focus on your strengths and purpose. Fine to seek a job that aligns that way. But, once assigned, forget your needs. Focus on theirs.

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" ... process is superb" Paul Sprokkreeff, CEO Web Profits Pty Ltd
www.webprofits.com.au

Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®

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Comments (11)

AgobDiaHHaini - date: 2012/05/21 06:24 am

der forrsager den monetre reduktion

en lugar de 2 de tributacin individual

for eksempel opleve alt hvad du behver for at fejre

Una variedad de tipos de vehculos

kan 24 timers mellemrum sttte

http://www.chat.onlinefree.ro/index.php?p=blogs/viewstory/222941

AcincEnrommof - date: 2012/05/20 01:38 pm

Johore lectrique de la batterie

die tatschlichen Eintrge. Denken Sie daran

des lagunes intime

mme si avec plus contaminations

wann immer Sie sollten wissen

http://campuslounge.org//index.php?p=blogs/viewstory/59461

neilleryibita - date: 2012/05/19 01:38 am

scriptural

der er mange legitime faktorer

herunder notar eksamen

considerable amount of solitude and most of all

www.transindiaholidays.co.uk/>" India Holidays

http://redot1.com/blogs/entry/First

Azza Wasfy - date: 2010/11/23 05:06 pm

Hello Timothy ...
I've just read your comment. Thank you , yes I agree with you most important judgements should be from outsiders. Thanks I didn't think it that way.

Azza

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2010/11/12 11:32 am

Dear Azza,

Thanks for your two comments.

I agree that leaders should participate in evaluation of their company's performance. That is something they should be doing day by day - and, as a result, adjusting what they and others do.

But, ultimately, it's outsiders (customers, investors, etc.), who make the most important judgements. Their views determine whether the company succeeds, can fund itself, etc.

Best wishes and again thank you,

Timothy

Azza Wasfy - date: 2010/11/12 09:29 am

I have comment on let leaders self-judge their companys performance? yes, because leaders are stakeholders and their point of view should be considered and take in count. I think it is very important to let them participate in evaluating the performance of their company. Leaders will reflect their teams performance and also their customers.

Sincerely,
Azza

Azza Wasfy - date: 2010/11/12 09:15 am

Thanks, it's very interesting and I think that ego satisfaction is the character of the manager more the leader . I appreciate your point of view.

Best regards,

Azza

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2010/11/11 08:55 am

Scary, yes! But, rewarding and high leverage.

The whole basis of the VECTOR Leadership process is selecting your leadership actions on the basis of the concerns holding your people back from full understanding and/or commitment.

From that view-point, the needed actions become much more obvious - and hugely more catalytic in freeing your people up to join your on the journey ahead.

Scary is sometimes good!

Best,

Timothy

Belinda Huckle - date: 2010/11/11 08:50 am

Hello Timothy ... Someone asked me the other day to describe the types of leaders I had worked with in the past why they were effective and why they werent so effective. It was an interesting exercise for several reasons the main one being that it prompted me to ask myself how my past followers might describe me to others if they were asked the same question. Holding the mirror up to oneself can be scary!

Timothy Pascoe - date: 2010/11/10 02:39 pm

Thanks, Phadke.

It's interesting how little "customer focus" you find in much leadership practice.

Tools like MBTI, which can be very interesting, focus on the leader rather than on his or her team members - the more important people in the leadership equation. As leaders, we need to adjust to their needs, not ours.

Other tools provide evaluations or feedback, which is backward looking - drawing its data from the leader's previous role or some recent project. Not looking forward at what he/she needs to do in their current situation - with a different group of people perhhaps, and/or different operational challenges.

Best wishes,

Timothy

Phadke Subodhkumar Narayan - date: 2010/11/08 05:48 pm

Namaste sir,

Thank you very much for unwinding this topic and putting light. I was not aware before reading this post. Thanks a lot for empowering me and all others.

I appreciate.

Sincerely i remain,

Phadke Subodhkumar Narayan
City: Pune
State: Maharashtra
Country: India

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